Raymond D Barnes

With loving sadness, we said farewell to Raymond Douglas Barnes, PhD, OD, on March 14, 2025, the day of the total lunar eclipse of the Sugar Moon. He died peacefully at home, as was his wish. Ray lived a full loving life as a husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Ray was born in Oakland, CA on March 29, 1934. He grew up in Oakland until about age 16, when he moved to the open hills of Castro Valley, with his parents, Wilbur and Helen, and his brother, David. In this more rural landscape, he learned to appreciate Nature and all she had to offer. He was active in the Boy Scouts and achieved the highest rank of Eagle Scout by the age of 17. He married Elinor Dether Barnes, when he was 19, in November 1953. They had three children, Steven, Lorri and Kristine. Ray shared his love of the outdoors with his children, and they enjoyed hiking, canoeing, backpacking, and camping together.

Ray served as a cartographer (Topographical Computer) in the United States Army, 29th Engineer Battalion from 1954-1956, receiving an Honorary Discharge. He was stationed in Japan for the second half of his military career during the Korean War. He attended the University of California Berkley, where he received a BS in Wildlife Management and earned a PhD in Zoology in 1967. He taught at the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, with courses in comparative anatomy, histology, and hematology. While at the University of Minnesota from 1972-1980, he researched how the micro-structure of bird feathers influenced flight, using a scanning electron microscope.

Ray married Elizabeth Moen Alton in Dec 1980, when he was 45, and changed careers. He went back to school at the New England College of Optometry in Massachusetts and completed his Doctor of Optometry degree in 1982. He practiced optometry in Auburn, MA, Adams, MA, Williston, VT, and finally at the Shelburne Eyeworks, in Shelburne, VT. Ray thoroughly enjoyed practicing optometry and his many discussions with all his interesting patients.

Ray lived life to its fullest! He had many interests and hobbies. As an amateur astronomer, he spent many hours gazing at the stars and planets. He observed his first total solar eclipse in Bend, OR, in 2017. The total solar eclipse of 2024, in Vermont, was the highlight of his year. Ray dreamed of taking flight lessons, using every opportunity to fly with friends, who were plane owning pilots, and relished impromptu chances to take the controls. He loved photography and built his own darkroom, where he developed black and white as well as color pictures. He photographed many friends’ weddings and documented every walk, trip or vacation, with his old film and then new digital cameras. He delighted in canoeing and kayaking and hand-built a redwood strip canoe in 1977. Although it was 85 pounds, heavy to portage, Ray and Liz used it for a wonderful canoe trip in the Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe Area with his daughter Kris, and her husband Joel, in 1984. Reading was very important to Ray. A life-long learner, he knew so many things about a myriad of topics and often gave spontaneous mini-lectures during casual conversations. Ray took great pleasure in music, listened to classical, opera and jazz, and always commented that Beethoven’s Pastoral 6th Symphony, Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, and Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) were his favorites. Ray delighted in an active life, particularly solo backpacking in the western back country, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, curling, running, fly fishing, hiking, and biking. He was always game to do anything! Even in his older years, he found joy playing pool at Josh’s House, a place for support, camaraderie and healing for veterans, supported by the Josh Pallotta Fund.

He truly loved birds and birding. Ray & Liz traveled many places together to pursue this shared passion. They experienced fall migration in Cape May, NJ, Hawk Mountain, PA, Hawk Ridge, MN, Hawk Cliff, Ontario, and Golden Gate Raptor Observatory in California. They witnessed the wonders of spring migration in Long Point, Ontario. They visited Grand Manan, New Brunswick to see puffins, terns, Razorbills, and petrels and took pelagic trips to view seabirds. They walked all over Vermont and the Adirondacks, just to see what they could see. The Christmas Bird Count was always a special event, birding with friends. In his later years, he enjoyed the birds at home, watching who came to his yard and feeders was his favorite pastime.

Ray will be remembered for his sense of humor, quick huge smile, twinkle in his eye, storytelling, delicious waffles, colorful array of suspenders, and numerous and decorative bow (and VT Beau) ties.

Ray is survived by his loving wife of 44 years, Elizabeth Alton, DVM; his beloved children, Steve Barnes, Lorri Bordeaux (husband Gail), Kristine Roberts (husband Joel); his first wife and mother of his children, Elinor Dether Barnes; 5 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, 2 nephews, and 2 grandnieces.

He was predeceased by his parents, Wilbur and Helen (Davis) Barnes and his brother, David R. Barnes.

Ray will be buried in the Vermont Veterans Cemetery in Randolph, VT on June 13, 2025. An informal drop-in/open house gathering will be held to celebrate Ray’s life in the Milton Grange Hall, 135 River St. (Rt 7) Milton, VT on June 14, 2025, from 9:30-11:30 am.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Dragonheart Vermont (dargonheartvermont.org) or Josh’s House (joshpallottafund.org).