Edward Marcellus Barnes Jr.'s Obituary
Edward Marcellus Barnes, Jr., passed away on March 31, 2015. He was born January 29, 1932, to Edward and Edna Barnes in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He grew up in Ponca City and Stillwater, where he developed his lifelong enthusiasm for aviation and space engineering. Edward graduated from Stillwater High in 1950. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering from Oklahoma A&M (OSU). For his Master’s thesis, he designed an antenna for a Telstar satellite that NASA launched into space. He served in the Air Force from 1954-1956. He began his engineering career at Douglas Aircraft in 1956, eventually rising to Director of engineering, special flight programs and marketing and product support. He was most proud of managing the ARIA (Apollo Range Instrumented Aircraft) program for McDonnell-Douglas. This project modified 8 Boeing 707’s with electronics in the noses of the planes to provide airborne communications between Apollo spacecraft and Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He retired from McDonnell-Douglas in 1994 after 38 years of service. Edward made an immediate impression because of his height and impressed no less with his sharp intelligence, love of storytelling, and analytical capabilities. He was devoted to his family, and he loved music, particularly the Big Band music of his youth. He had a pilot’s license with a single-engine rating. He enjoyed OSU football, cars, guns and shooting, and John Wayne movies. Edward is survived by Cynthia Canfield Barnes, his wife of more than 60 years. He is also survived by his children: Edis Barnes, Barbara Barnes, Warren Barnes and his wife Paula, and Adrienne Teague and her husband Michael, by his grandchildren: Robert Barnes and his wife Erin, Eric Barnes, Christopher Teague, and Alyssa Teague, and by his sister Esta Lee Albright. He was preceded in death by his parents and by one grandson, Russell Barnes. There will be a visitation Friday, April 3, 2015, from 5-7 p.m. at Floral Haven Funeral Home Funeral Service will be Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel
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