David Butler Barnes, “Dave”, 69, a longtime resident of St. Francisville, LA, died on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 6:32 p.m. after suffering for years with a disabling illness. Dave was born in Baton Rouge. He grew up in W. Monroe, LA and graduated from W. Monroe High School in 1966. He served in the Navy aboard the USS Kearsarge as a journalist during Vietnam and built a radio station aboard ship. He had worked in radio & TV as a booth announcer in high school. After the Navy, Dave settled in Austin, TX where he met & married Valerie. He worked for several radio stations in Texas & Louisiana before becoming one of the premier voice talents of the South. They moved to St. Francisville in 1974 and built an audio production studio in a pigeonnierre and later they wrote, produced & hosted Feliciana Magazine. Dave was a faithful LSU & Saints fan whether they were winning or losing. He had a crazy sense of humor & loved to make people laugh with his character voices. He worked for Jefferson-Pilot Life Insurance for ten years before becoming disabled & retiring.
There will be a visitation at Grace Episcopal Church in St. Francisville, LA on Saturday, October 7, 2017, from 1 pm until funeral service at 3 pm, conducted by Fr. Roman Roldan. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Valerie Thomas Barnes; one daughter, Briana Barnes Boucher and her husband James of Portsmouth, RI; one son, Brooks Thomas Barnes of St. Francisville; two sisters: Leslie Russell Burt and her husband Dewey of Fairborn, OH; Terri Russell Ramos and her husband Marc of Kearneysville, WV; one brother, Jay C. Barnes and his wife Carrie of West Monroe, LA; two grandchildren: Bailey Montana Boucher of Seattle,WA and Cameron David James Boucher of Portsmouth, RI, and numerous nieces, nephews & cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents Jay Barnes and Kaki Barnes McKelvey; brother Daniel Thomas Russell; and sister Jane Barnes Ruth.