Air traffic controller, community activist.
Born at Eriksdale on 6 March 1947, he grew up in nearby Ashern where his parents Lloyd Barnes (1919-2002) and Christine M. Barnes (1920-1988) owned the local café. He married Barbara Geisler with whom he had two children. In 1966, he became a radio operator stationed at Resolute Bay, Northwest Territories. In 1968, the family moved to Sioux Lookout, Ontario where he continued as a radio operator. He then took air traffic control training at Ottawa in 1969, and entered a career that lasted for 32 years. His first posting was at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in 1970. In 1971, he moved to Stonewall and began working at the Winnipeg International Airport control tower. After his retirement, he acquired a Class 1 driver’s license and occasionally drove big rigs as well as school bus. For a time, he operated the water taxi on the rivers at The Forks Historic Site at Winnipeg.
He was actively involved in the Stonewall community through the Kinsmen Club, minor hockey, and ringette, and belonged to the local curling club. He served as a town councillor in Stonewall for eight years, five of them as Deputy Mayor. He enjoyed volunteering and helped with events such as the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, Baseball Canada championships, Brier curling championships, and other events. He and his wife often hosted exchange students from Mexico and Germany. He also enjoyed the outdoors and fishing, especially his annual trip with friends to Reed Lake in northern Manitoba, and spending summer holidays with his family on their houseboat at Lake of the Woods, Ontario.
He died at Stonewall on 25 April 2005 and is memorialized with a stone bench in the Stonewall Cemetery.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 2005.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 15 August 2021
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
