BRADFORD STEVENS BARNES

Piano Savant • Mayflower Descendant • Bridge Shark • Tennis Swashbuckler • Community Servant • Dad • Grandpop • Friend to All

Bradford Barnes moved his piano performance venue to heaven on May 6th, where he is undoubtedly entertaining with flourishing John Rutter anthems and Burt Bachrach popular hits on another 1940 Mason & Hamlin baby grand. Throughout his 91 years, he cherished his family, was fulfilled by his faith, never met a competition he wouldn’t try, and made many community impacts by volunteering his time and talents. Family, friends, and service were the currency of his life.

He was born January 31, 1935 in Plymouth, the fourth son of Miriam (Rowell) and Henry W. Barnes, Jr., for whom he was the well-mannered child who didn’t create or get into trouble. Before being sent to Philips Andover enroute to MIT to study engineering, he attended Plymouth Public Schools where stories about his superior academics were unraveled by report card evidence to the contrary. His Latin education served him well when completing a daily New York Times crossword in ink. At MIT, Brad was a member Delta Psi fraternity, earned a varsity letter for tennis, and dug deep into his love of music—both piano (largely self-taught) and vocal performance (a precursor to church choirs). He toured overseas as a member of MIT’s Chorale. “Braddy” as was a familial nickname, remained in touch with his best pals from Plymouth and Philips Andover: Bob Bartlett, Peter Damon, Henry Hammond, Sheila Clough-Crifasi, Joyce Contente, Sally Holmes Wilson and the late Jack Corbett, from a wider circle.

In May 1960 he married Anne Schwer in her hometown of Springfield, Ohio and settled their family in Needham, MA. Together they were a social tour de force, acquiring many friends through a shared love of Needham Community Theatre for which they hosted epic cast parties. He served 35 of his 37 years in Needham as an elected Town Meeting member, and 15 years on the Design Review Committee. Brad was a choir baritone in the Christ Episcopal Church where he chose to be baptized with his infant daughter, Loring. Brad and Anne maintained their close lifelong friendship and duplicate bridge partnership with national championship wins (Brad was a Silver Life Master member of the American Contract Bridge League). She saved her final smile for him.

Later in life he retired to Falmouth with his second wife, Virginia, a longtime tennis partner. After building their home, they created a life together anchored in neighborhood socializing, winters in Jupiter, Florida, and tennis at Ballymeade Estates, where Brad served on the Board of Directors. He also was a member of The 300 Committee Land Trust of Falmouth, the Design Review Board for 9 years, and together they joined St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, where Brad was a choir member until they moved together to Keystone Place in Buzzards Bay, and then he to Laurelwood at The PineHills.

One constant across these addresses was his Red Sox fan loyalty. Over many years he amassed an extensive collection of caps and logo apparel from trips to the pro shop when his son-in-law Michael took him to Fenway Park for homestands. He was bemused that women were as capable of the famous “Yankees s--k” chant as men. “Grandpop” took much delight in knowing that his great-grandsons both play baseball, and even more to see them play.

Brad was a one-company man, advancing through the machinations of New England Telephone & Telegraph (now Verizon) as a district operations manager. He walked to the train station a la “Mad Men,” dashing in his tailored suit, fedora, and briefcase. When company strikes sent management into the field, he would bring back giant spools of colorful phone wire for his two elated daughters to transform into ornate jewelry. He bridged his collegiate and corporate life chapters by serving in the US Army with Honorable Discharge. Later, early retirement allowed him to pursue residential real estate sales and surveying, both lifelong interests related to architecture.

He was persnickety about details, particularly about his cars—their heritage and their plates. He leaves a photographic anthology of his car ownership, mostly vintage Fords, and his extensive family license plate collection. He maintained manicured gardens and a garage fit for a royal tea. Hemmings and Architectural Digest covered his coffee table, he enjoyed reading the Boston Globe nightly with his cat Roscoe curled up in his lap and a scotch-over-ice at hand. His newspaper of choice belied his lifelong participation in Republican organizations, to include volunteering alongside Charlie Baker, III for their friend Congresswoman, Secretary of Health & Human Services, and Ambassador to Ireland, Margaret (Peggy) Heckler. His garden statuary was placed with symmetry. He dispatched his daughters to push a newfangled brush lawn sweeper which was very high brow in its day. Brad mailed the family birthday cards, with his telltale handwriting on the envelopes, and tracked Christmas card exchanges over decades. He planned his memorial service down to the key, verses, and descant of his chosen hymns.

There are endless funny and poignant stories that describe this special man who gave far more to the world than he took from it. These will be shared at the Memorial Service that he planned on Thursday, May 28th at 4:00pm at Christ Church Parish in Plymouth, with a reception to follow at The Mayflower Society House. Brad’s proud and grateful Massachusetts family includes daughters Loring (Michael Edmonds) of Millis, and Meredith (Earl Cook, Jr.) of North Andover; grandchildren Zachary Cook of North Andover, and Melissa Loring (Dave Connors) of Ashland along with Brad’s great-grandsons: namesake Rowan Bradford and his elder brother Jameson Thomas; his sister Laurinda Barnes Morway (North Falmouth), niece Josie Morway (Malden), first cousin Souther Barnes (Plymouth), and nephew Brice Barnes (Southlake, TX). He always enjoyed hearing about the milestones and accomplishments of his west coast families of: Michael C. Edmonds (Olivia, Brianna, and Gabriella of Colorado Springs) and Katelyn (Edmonds) Fukayama (husband Dave, daughters Madelyn, and Ruby of Tempe, AZ). His brothers Henry III (Harry), Stanley, and Thomas predeceased him. 

His family wants to acknowledge standout people who went the extra mile for Brad with heartfelt compassion and friendship: Jeannine Clark, RN and Wellness Dept. (Laurelwood at The Pinehills), Alison Stockman and Team (Avita at Laurelwood), Susan Lawrence (Aesthetician at Laurelwood), Roseanna Nikolaidis (Aesthetician at Hair Today Plus, Buzzards Bay), Cheryl Snyder, RN (BIDMC Plymouth), Brian Manson (Laurelwood Activities), Suzanne Lioce and Laurie McGowan (Keystone Place, Buzzards Bay), and Wendy and Brian Gordon (Kennebunk). Brad wanted to make the world a kinder place. Memorials in his memory will be put to great purpose by Hospitality Homes (Hosp.org), a 501(c)3 non-profit that matches patients and their families with affordable, donor-subsidized housing during their treatment at hospitals across Greater Boston.