Andrew T Barnes |
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Beaverton, Oregon |
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July 12, 2014 |
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Andrew Thomas Barnes, 26 years old, of Beaverton, Oregon was killed in a motor vehicle accident Saturday, July 12, 2014 at about 6pm. He was on his motorcycle going to work and just north of 185th and Farmington Rd, an SUV pulled out in front of him. Officers said it appears he attempted to lay the bike down but was unsuccessful and he was thrown from the bike. He died instantly. Andrew was born February 15, 1988 in Albany, Oregon to Rodney and Karen Barnes – the fifth child and fourth son born to the family. The family moved to Beaverton in February of 1989 where he lived in the same house in which his parents still reside and he grew up among long-term family friends. Andrew had a knack for gathering people together and was often the instigator of family activities and outings as well as events with friends. He was the type of man who filled a room when he entered it – not in a noisome way but with his sheer presence. He had strong beliefs and faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Andrew loved to sing and was musically gifted. He could competently play any instrument he picked up in a very short time. He particularly loved to sing barbershop and especially with his dad and brothers. A self-taught pianist and composer, he was known for very beautiful pieces which were moving and touched hearts. He attended Cooper Mountain Elementary school, Mountain View Middle school, and Aloha High School – all in the Beaverton/Aloha area. While at Aloha High School, following in the footsteps of two of his older brothers and his sister, Andrew was selected to be a member of the advanced singing ensemble “New Day” performing in many concerts and shows. From December 2007 to November 2009, Andrew fulfilled a religious mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in the Arizona Phoenix mission. He spent time in the Deer Valley area and later on the Navajo reservation. He spoke often of how much he enjoyed serving among the Navajo people and of his love for them. It was on his mission while serving in Buckeye, Arizona that he met the young woman who would later become his bride and eternal companion, Tomi Baumgart. After his mission, he returned to Arizona, and they were sealed in the Mesa Arizona temple among family and friends. After returning from his mission, Andrew enlisted in the United States Navy July 15, 2010. He attended boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois and technical school in Pensacola, Florida. He was assigned to the USS Higgins (DDG-76), including a tour in the Arabian Gulf and Pacific. Unfortunately, medical challenges led to his returning home and subsequent honorable, medical discharge. Andrew was a hard worker at anything he chose to pursue. He often looked for opportunities to work and improve himself physically. While on the USS Higgins he would regularly serve his watch doing push-ups and pull-ups in between monitoring his station. While at home, he would exercise by flipping a large, 200-lb tire down his street and back. Another part of his “tire workout” included repeatedly swinging first an 8-lb sledge (to warm-up), a 20-lb sledge (for the main workout) and finally back to the 8-lb sledge (for his cool down). Andrew was a fan of “survivalist” shows and particularly of Bear Grylls. He had several experiences with friends surviving in the woods, eating things most people wouldn’t consider, and running around barefoot. Andrew began looking for work with the intent to move back to Oregon. He wanted to be back among his family and friends, and the area he loved. He loved the beauty of Oregon, loved to hike and camp, and loved to ride his motorcycle. He loved his wife, his two little boys, and all of his siblings, and often was the instigator of occasions for family gatherings and activities. He was blessed to obtain employment as a manufacturing technician with Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon even before he was released from the Navy – a very unusual situation. He was doing so well and excelling so much in his training that his manager had him performing tasks for a person of the next grade above Andrew. Andrew is survived by his wife, Tomi, two little boys Christopher and Jace, his parents Rodney and Karen Barnes of Beaverton, Oregon, and siblings – brother Matthew Barnes of Aloha, Oregon; sister Sharla Bledsoe of Beaverton, Oregon; brother Steven Barnes of Fort Washington, Maryland; brother Jared Barnes of Columbia, Illinois; and brother Phillip Barnes of Beaverton, Oregon. On Saturday, July 19th, a public viewing will begin at 10am followed by funeral services at 11am. These will be held at the Beaverton Oregon West stake center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at the corner of SW Bany Rd and SW 170th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97007. Burial and graveside services will be held Tuesday, July 22nd, at noon in Willamette National Cemetery located at 11800 SE Mt. Scott Blvd, Portland, OR 97086-6937. In lieu of sending flowers, these preferred options have been made available: -The Andrew Barnes Memorial Fund (https://tinyurl.com/ATBMemorialFund) has been established and is available to make donations. -In honor of Andrew’s love of breakfast cereal, when attending the Saturday funeral service, consider bringing a box of your favorite cereal. These will be donated in Andrew’s name to a local community food resource for those in need. |
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For Some Memorial Service Snapshots, Click photo below: July 19, 2014 |
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For Some Funeral Service Snapshots, Click photo below: July 22, 2014 |
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Don't Let The Memory Of Them Drift Away