James W. Barnes

Mr. James William Barnes, the only child of the late Clinton Barnes and Eleanor Barnes, was born on April 15, 1950 in West Palm Beach, Florida. James was born with developmental challenges that lasted throughout his life. Despite these challenges, James was thoughtful, loving, affectionate, and had a child-like wonder for life. After his parents' passing, James lived with Mrs. Dorothy Bates and her family for over 15 years. He loved Dorothy like a sister and enjoyed being around her, her children, and grandchildren. James enjoyed going to church, collecting the mail from the mailbox everyday, running errands with Dorothy, playing the lottery, giving and receiving hugs, and consistently sending timely birthday cards every year to friends and family. In 2017, James took his first and only trip on an airplane with Dorothy to visit family in Jamaica. He loved his visit to Jamaica and was eager to return. In James's later years, he developed a number of health challenges but was resilient with every step, and he was a proud survivor of kidney cancer. James is dearly missed and survived by his "adopted" family, including Dorothy, her children, grandchildren; and his guardians Steve and Mary French.