Tom Barnes was always ready to listen, help

Every Sunday, Tom Barnes would stand in the back of Burien's Highline Christian Church, impeccably dressed in a thrift-store suit as he greeted fellow congregants and welcomed newcomers, whispering their names to the pastor so he could acknowledge the visitors during the service.

It typified the quiet way Mr. Barnes, a real-estate agent by trade, shunned the spotlight yet was always the first to help. If your car broke down, he'd lend you his. If you couldn't pay your rent, he'd let it slide. If you were hungry, he'd find you something to eat.

Mr. Barnes, 70, died Sunday, March 18, of a heart attack he suffered at his Burien home. As many as 800 people were expected to attend his memorial at the church, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. today.

"He could see potential in people that society and even the church had given up on," said Tim Knight, the senior pastor at Highline Christian Church, the church Mr. Barnes attended for 60 years. "He's going to leave a big hole here."

Thomas Earl Barnes was born Dec. 9, 1936, in Paris, Texas, the son of a meatcutter. The family moved to Burien in 1947 to get work and to be closer to relatives, said Dianne Barnes, Mr. Barnes' wife of nearly 45 years.

Mr. Barnes graduated from Highline High School in 1955 and earned a scholarship to play golf at the University of Washington. But after a year, he dropped out and went to work at Boeing. He later became a salesman for a couple of national companies and took up real estate in 1979.

"He really enjoyed helping people find housing, especially young couples," his widow said. "He was very outgoing and could talk to anybody. He had the warmth and caring and he'd take the time, even if he didn't have it sometimes."

He wasn't cheap, but Mr. Barnes had been born during the Great Depression and didn't see the sense in buying new clothes, his wife said. "He was very nicely dressed, but bought all of his clothes at thrift stores," she said. "He maybe had six new shirts in his life."

In addition to his wife, survivors include a brother, Ed Barnes, of Federal Way; children Scott Barnes and Tammie Lindblom, both of Kent; Barry Barnes, of Seattle; and Mark Barnes, of Fort Collins, Colo.; and nine grandchildren.

A private burial service for family members was to be held before the public service at the Riverton Crest Cemetery in Tukwila.

Donations may be made to the Highline Christian Church Building Fund, 14859 First Ave. S., Burien WA 98168.

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com