Roll Call Tribute

Herbert Marvin Barnard was a loving husband, father, and great grandfather to his family and, for many others, he was a caring mentor and an adventurous and playful friend, always ready with a good ol’ Aggie joke. We celebrate his life, knowing that he is home with the Lord and reunited with the many loved ones who have gone before him.

Born on January 24, 1934, to Marill and Louise Barnard, Herb was the oldest of 2 children. He is survived by his sister, Janice Morgan. He died on February 15, 2020, at the age of 86.

Herb spent most of his childhood in Ft. Worth, Texas, living briefly with his grandmother and aunt in Lubbock, Texas, before he and his sister returned after his mother’s recovery from tuberculosis.

While in Ft. Worth, Herb became friends in junior high with the woman who would later become his wife, Mary Duvall. Their wedding was on June 10, 1955, and they were married 59 years until Mary’s death on May 2, 2014.

His lifelong commitment to learning was already evident at a young age. Herb completed both an undergraduate and master’s degree in electrical engineering at Texas A&M (1955 & 1960) before going on to complete his PhD at the University of Illinois (1964) in the same field. During his post-graduate work, he also instructed at both universities.

Following graduation, he led an exciting career—serving as a First Lieutenant in the Signal Corps in the United States, becoming an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M, supervising a division at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey, and serving in major management and executive positions within the Teledyne Corporation, before finally completing his career at Dynetics, Inc. in Huntsville, Alabama, He retired and returned to Dallas in 2009, although he continued to serve on the Board of Directors for Dynetics until 2015.

Herb faithfully served in the church communities he attended during his lifetime. He also served on several academic committees, including Target 2000 for Texas A&M and Board of Directors for Texas Tech Research Foundation.

Herb received his pilot’s license in the 1960s while living in Illinois and flew for many years. He enjoyed a wide range of hobbies and interests—from skiing and racquetball to astronomy and genealogy. For years he appeared as Super Santa for his family and friends at Christmastime—always bearing a bag of gifts and a long list of jokes.

He is survived by his 2 children: Sharon Barnard Woolmington and husband Bob, and Frank Barnard and his wife, Beth. He loved and adored his 5 grandchildren and their spouses: Rebecca Woolmington Hahn and husband Marko, Jessica Woolmington, Taylor Woolmington, Adam Barnard and wife Emily, and Caroline Barnard. Herb was also blessed with two great grandchildren: Robert Hahn and Townes Barnard.

The family would like to thank all of those who have shown their love and support over these past few years as his health declined, including the wonderful and caring staff of Highland Springs in Dallas, Texas. And a special note of thanks to Sherry Wallace, a kind and caring companion for the last 4 years. Donations in memory of Herbert M. Barnard may be given to Visiting Nurses Association, who so wonderfully gave tender hospice care to Herb over these last few months : please visit www.vnatexas.org to give online or else donations may be mailed to: Visiting Nurses Association, 7290 Virginia Parkway, Suite 2300, McKinney, TX 75071.

The memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 21, 2020, at 10:00 am Highland Park United Methodist Church, 3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75205.

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