Richard J. Barnes

Richard Joseph Barnes, of Milford, New Hampshire, passed away on May 29, 2026, at the age of 85. He was born February 10, 1941, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Gertrude (nee Brown) and Felix Barnes. Richard grew up in West Philadelphia alongside his siblings William, Eugene, Francis, and Joanne.

A proud 1959 graduate of St. Thomas More High School in Philadelphia, he remained a devoted alumnus throughout his life. In 1964, he married Regina Rodeheaver, a graduate of West Catholic Girls High School.

Richard served in the Air Force at Otis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts, and was honorably discharged. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts. Later on, he joined the Air National Guard and deployed to Germany during the Gulf War. Richard spent over twenty years as an engineer and defense contractor, supporting the U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), the Rangers, Special Forces, and AFLCMC/HBDC, with work spanning battlespace communication, satellite, and infrared technology. He retired in 2021 at the age of 80.

Richard's work took him across the United States and to countries abroad, which instilled a love of travel. This led to many family excursions to visit relatives in Ireland and adventures around the British Isles, Italy, Germany, and Austria.

In his later years, he enjoyed perfecting his pie recipes (pumpkin above all), visiting his daughters, attending his son's lacrosse games, and he took up gardening to grow his favorite tomatoes. At Christmas, after a battle with the lights, you would find him in a funny hat setting up his trains under the tree. A devoted husband and father, Richard will be remembered for his sense of humor, his devotion to family, and his unwavering commitment to his work with the military.

Richard is survived by his wife of more than sixty years, Regina; their children Karen, Jennifer, Philip, and Bernadette and her husband Robert; his brothers William and Francis; his sister Joanne; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his brother Eugene.

A service will be held at 2pm on Wednesday, June 3rd at Smith & Heald Funeral Home in Milford, NH. There will be a burial with military honors at Calvary Cemetery in West Conshohocken, outside Philadelphia, PA, at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to SHARE Outreach at https://www.sharenh.org/donate/.