John Thomas Barnard

John Thomas Barnard 2/16/1936 – 9/11/2020

Husband, father, friend and loved one, John Barnard passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of September 11, 2020. Born February 16, 1936 to Lucille and Reverend Thomas Barnard in Hutchison, Minnesota, John, his sister Ann and brother Edward spent their school years in Valley City, North Dakota. John graduated top of his class, a varsity athlete in both tennis and basketball and held many leadership roles. He was Honorably discharged from the United States Army where he performed duties as an Artillery Surveyor. John’s true calling was to serve as a teacher and mentor.

He moved to the Northwest earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Puget Sound and his Masters in Political Science at Portland State University. While working for Northwest Airlines, John met his first wife of eighteen years, Marilyn Mahoney. They raised their two daughters in the wooded hills of Auburn, Washington. His joy of tennis helped land him his first job doing what he loved, coaching and teaching, at Sedro Woolley High School. John was recruited to join the Political Science Department at Green River Community College where he taught for over thirty-five years. At this college in the foothills of Mt. Rainier, he was head of the department and advisor to many.

GRCC is where John met the love of his life, Gail Crawford. Partners for forty-two years, Gail and John married in the spring of 1990 in her mother’s rose garden on Oak Bay. John and Gail would spend their later years there caring for Grandma Francelle and enjoying the beach, boating, fishing, and gardening. John was a self-taught chef and enjoyed hosting he and Gail’s large, blended family and friends in their Port Ludlow home. He was an active supporter of local art studios acquiring an extensive northwest art collection with Gail. John also found his artistic outlet making jewelry and creating woodwork pieces.

A loving father, he was preceded in death by his oldest daughter Meagan MacPhee (Nick).  He is survived by his beloved wife Gail; daughter Terri Barnard; Gail’s four children that he generously and patiently helped raise, Monte Crawford (Janine), Dennis James Crawford (Monica), Steven Crawford (Jennifer), and Nikki Wagner (Bill); and those who proudly called him grandfather, Riley and Casey MacPhee, Emma and Ian Crawford, Jake and Paris Crawford, Charlie and Henry Crawford, and Abigail, Caroline, Billy, and Ellie Wagner.

John will be remembered as a supportive and loving husband and father, the sweetest Papa/Poppie, a friend, and mentor to many.

Thank you to all those who cared for John at High Point Village. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Center. http://depts.washington.edu/mbwc/be-involved/make-a-gift

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Thomas Barnard, please visit our floral store.