Arizona philanthopist T. Dennis Barney dies
The Arizona Republic
A developer who quietly orchestrated reformation of a drug-infested neighborhood into a gateway for the LDS Mesa Arizona Temple died Monday at his Gilbert home.
The death of T. Dennis Barney stunned and saddened friends, many of them community leaders in Mesa and Gilbert where his work for charitable causes and the Mormon Church were felt. He was 62.
"He was not only a tremendous force in the community, he was one of the mainstays of the (Mormon) church," said longtime friend, Roc Arnett, president of East Valley Partnership. "He was stake president, which means he was a spiritual adviser for students of the Tempe-Arizona University Stake. He will be a big loss to the community, his church and his friends.
Valley LDS leader and philanthropist dies, community mourns
Posted: Aug 24, 2009 1:09 PM MDT Updated: Mar 09, 2015 2:25 PM MDTT. Dennis Barney, 62, died in his Gilbert home. His death has reportedly shocked his friends, many of whom are community leaders. Longtime friend Rock Arnett, president of East Valley Partnership, confirmed Barney's death to 3TV.
Barney was a philanthropist and significantly contributed to various charitable causes as well as to the Mormon Church.
One of Barney's most significant contributions was transforming a crime-ridden Mesa neighborhood into a place visitors enjoyed. He also spent millions of dollars refurbishing over 20 homes in the area.
Mormon leaders aid light rail's path to temple
Mormon Church leaders are taking
an active role in planning for the day when the Metro light-rail
extension reaches the historic Arizona Temple in 2016.
A church architect with extensive experience is serving on a committee planning the light-rail extension. A prominent Gilbert bishop and developer has been buying and fixing up small houses near the temple.
And that developer, C. Dennis Barney, has donated $40,000 to help Mesa complete an overhaul of its zoning code that will make urban redevelopment easier.
His donation comes with no strings attached, and Barney has no proposals before city boards or commissions, city officials say.
Barney, a candidate for Maricopa County supervisor, said that he and his late father, T. Dennis Barney, bought the properties to improve the appearance of the area around the temple, which was built in 1927.
For many years, it was the only temple in Arizona.
Barney said he and his family are not motivated by profit, although he is anticipating there will be redevelopment someday.
"We're not in a rush to do something. It's been more of a legacy project," Barney said. "I think we have accomplished what we set out to do already, to a certain extent."
Barney said his donation to Mesa is a good investment because the zoning-code overhaul and light rail will set the tone in the city for decades to come. He looks at himself as a partner of Mesa and the Mormon Church.
"If you view the area today compared to, say, 10 years ago, there's been a lot of progress. Progress like that takes time," Barney said. "It's going to redefine Mesa in the next 25 to 50 years."
Mesa Planning Director John Wesley said the city had run out of money to pay a consultant to draft the code revisions. He said Barney signed a document spelling out that he would receive no preferential treatment in return for the donation.
Wesley said the Mormon Church was one of many property owners invited to participate on the committee, and the suggestions of Bill Williams, who helped design the Church's City Creek project in Salt Lake City, have been invaluable.
The Mormon Church, an enthusiastic light-rail supporter in Salt Lake City, has been interested in the Metro light-rail extension since at least 2004, when a member of the Presiding Bishopric asked former Gov. Janet Napolitano when light rail would reach the temple, among the oldest in the Mormon Church.
The church's interest in light rail and its extensive investments in City Creek make Mesa officials hopeful that there will be some similar investments in redevelopment here.
"Any way you look at it, whether you are LDS or not LDS, the Mormon temple is of major significance to Mesa" as a tourist destination, as a cultural symbol and as the backbone of Mesa's religious heritage, said Mesa Mayor Scott Smith.
"We hope someday that they will make a major investment. We have seen around the world where the church has invested in other temples," he said. "There's going to be boobirds coming out if the church does invest around the temple. The fact of the matter is that any time you have private investment, you welcome it."
Although Smith, like several other top Mesa officials, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he said it wouldn't have mattered to him if another denomination invested in downtown.
Dean Davies, the Mormon Church's managing director for temple-development projects, did not commit to any specific redevelopment projects. But he confirmed in a statement that the Mormon Church has entertained redevelopment proposals in the past in Mesa and is open to pursuing new opportunities.
"For a time, the church worked with other community groups on plans related to redevelopment in this area, including the development of vacant land into mixed-use development. We hope that as the economy improves and additional redevelopment occurs, the church can continue its role as a partner in these efforts," the statement said.
The statement said the church supports light rail not only to improve transportation options for people attending services but also to improve the area's quality of life.
"Ultimately, our hope is that the people who live, work and worship in downtown Mesa can do so in a clean, safe area they are proud of and feel connected to," Davies said.
Mike James, Mesa's transit-services director, said Williams has been helping Mesa achieve that goal. For instance, he suggested more trees and other pedestrian-friendly improvements to link the temple with downtown.
"He gave us a whole higher level of expertise," James said. "He's given us a lot of insight in design and construction."
Williams' style tends to be low-key. He suggested at a recent meeting that matching the color of a major sculpture to that of nearby canopies and awnings at the Country Club Drive station would help it blend in better.
"He doesn't try to run the show. He throws out advice. It's up to them to decide what to do with it," said Elaine McIver, who has filled in for her husband, Walt, on the planning committee.
Williams said he had received no direction to design or build anything in Mesa. He said he has experience in planning light-rail projects in Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle.
Williams views Pioneer Park - across Main Street from the temple - and other temple areas as vital pieces that can help light rail serve as a launching point for redevelopment. He said he would like to see more-diverse housing near Pioneer Park.
"It takes time. If you look at Vancouver (British Columbia), it took a long time for the stations to develop as major dense areas," he said.
Barney has been quietly cleaning up the area on his own, in concert with the Temple Historic District. He even provides a landscaper to keep up the yards of his properties.
White picket fences along First Avenue west of the temple tend to identify Barney-owned properties. Tenants are screened carefully and "if there are any shenanigans, they are invited to leave," said Walt McIver, chairman of the historic district.
McIver said he joined the steering committee to make sure plans for the Mesa Drive light-rail station didn't detract from the temple. He said he didn't want flashy art conflicting with the temple's classic 1927 architecture, which is on display especially when large crowds are drawn by the annual Christmas lights and Easter Pageant.
One small concession was extending the tracks a little farther east to prevent parked trains from blocking the view of the temple.
"It's sacred, and it's something you want to keep special," Elaine McIver said.
A church architect with extensive experience is serving on a committee planning the light-rail extension. A prominent Gilbert bishop and developer has been buying and fixing up small houses near the temple.
And that developer, C. Dennis Barney, has donated $40,000 to help Mesa complete an overhaul of its zoning code that will make urban redevelopment easier.
Barney, a candidate for Maricopa County supervisor, said that he and his late father, T. Dennis Barney, bought the properties to improve the appearance of the area around the temple, which was built in 1927.
For many years, it was the only temple in Arizona.
Barney said he and his family are not motivated by profit, although he is anticipating there will be redevelopment someday.
"We're not in a rush to do something. It's been more of a legacy project," Barney said. "I think we have accomplished what we set out to do already, to a certain extent."
Barney said his donation to Mesa is a good investment because the zoning-code overhaul and light rail will set the tone in the city for decades to come. He looks at himself as a partner of Mesa and the Mormon Church.
"If you view the area today compared to, say, 10 years ago, there's been a lot of progress. Progress like that takes time," Barney said. "It's going to redefine Mesa in the next 25 to 50 years."
Mesa Planning Director John Wesley said the city had run out of money to pay a consultant to draft the code revisions. He said Barney signed a document spelling out that he would receive no preferential treatment in return for the donation.
Wesley said the Mormon Church was one of many property owners invited to participate on the committee, and the suggestions of Bill Williams, who helped design the Church's City Creek project in Salt Lake City, have been invaluable.
The Mormon Church, an enthusiastic light-rail supporter in Salt Lake City, has been interested in the Metro light-rail extension since at least 2004, when a member of the Presiding Bishopric asked former Gov. Janet Napolitano when light rail would reach the temple, among the oldest in the Mormon Church.
The church's interest in light rail and its extensive investments in City Creek make Mesa officials hopeful that there will be some similar investments in redevelopment here.
"Any way you look at it, whether you are LDS or not LDS, the Mormon temple is of major significance to Mesa" as a tourist destination, as a cultural symbol and as the backbone of Mesa's religious heritage, said Mesa Mayor Scott Smith.
"We hope someday that they will make a major investment. We have seen around the world where the church has invested in other temples," he said. "There's going to be boobirds coming out if the church does invest around the temple. The fact of the matter is that any time you have private investment, you welcome it."
Although Smith, like several other top Mesa officials, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he said it wouldn't have mattered to him if another denomination invested in downtown.
Dean Davies, the Mormon Church's managing director for temple-development projects, did not commit to any specific redevelopment projects. But he confirmed in a statement that the Mormon Church has entertained redevelopment proposals in the past in Mesa and is open to pursuing new opportunities.
"For a time, the church worked with other community groups on plans related to redevelopment in this area, including the development of vacant land into mixed-use development. We hope that as the economy improves and additional redevelopment occurs, the church can continue its role as a partner in these efforts," the statement said.
The statement said the church supports light rail not only to improve transportation options for people attending services but also to improve the area's quality of life.
"Ultimately, our hope is that the people who live, work and worship in downtown Mesa can do so in a clean, safe area they are proud of and feel connected to," Davies said.
Mike James, Mesa's transit-services director, said Williams has been helping Mesa achieve that goal. For instance, he suggested more trees and other pedestrian-friendly improvements to link the temple with downtown.
"He gave us a whole higher level of expertise," James said. "He's given us a lot of insight in design and construction."
Williams' style tends to be low-key. He suggested at a recent meeting that matching the color of a major sculpture to that of nearby canopies and awnings at the Country Club Drive station would help it blend in better.
"He doesn't try to run the show. He throws out advice. It's up to them to decide what to do with it," said Elaine McIver, who has filled in for her husband, Walt, on the planning committee.
Williams said he had received no direction to design or build anything in Mesa. He said he has experience in planning light-rail projects in Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle.
Williams views Pioneer Park - across Main Street from the temple - and other temple areas as vital pieces that can help light rail serve as a launching point for redevelopment. He said he would like to see more-diverse housing near Pioneer Park.
"It takes time. If you look at Vancouver (British Columbia), it took a long time for the stations to develop as major dense areas," he said.
Barney has been quietly cleaning up the area on his own, in concert with the Temple Historic District. He even provides a landscaper to keep up the yards of his properties.
White picket fences along First Avenue west of the temple tend to identify Barney-owned properties. Tenants are screened carefully and "if there are any shenanigans, they are invited to leave," said Walt McIver, chairman of the historic district.
McIver said he joined the steering committee to make sure plans for the Mesa Drive light-rail station didn't detract from the temple. He said he didn't want flashy art conflicting with the temple's classic 1927 architecture, which is on display especially when large crowds are drawn by the annual Christmas lights and Easter Pageant.
One small concession was extending the tracks a little farther east to prevent parked trains from blocking the view of the temple.
"It's sacred, and it's something you want to keep special," Elaine McIver said.
Life History by Ann Barney - Funeral Message
I know the first thing Dennis would want me to do is to thank each one of you for being here with us today. I hope that you know how much we love you and especially how much Dennis loves you. I feel so humble to be able to tell you about this great man’s life. I have prayed that I might be able to do as he would have wanted me to do.
Talmage Dennis Barney was born the only son to Talmage A. and Clarene Robson Barney on February 8, 1946 in Phoenix, Arizona. Our country was just beginning to recover from Second World War. On the way home from the hospital, his father was so excited to have a son that he ran a red light. He received a ticket, but he always said it was worth it! They always felt Heavenly Father had sent them one of his most precious spirits. And He had!
His dad and mom were farmers and had some beautiful property out east of Mesa “in the sticks” on University between Val Vista and Greenfield. When baby Dennis was taken home from the hospital, to his mother’s surprise, it was to be in their old barn that his dad had converted into their home. It had hot and cold water, linoleum on the countertops, cement floors, a real toilet and a shower. His dad had even adorned some of the walls with wall paper (see, my children, that is why your dad loved wallpaper, too). To complete the picture of his humble beginnings, his cradle was a wooden drawer taken from a dresser. Perhaps that is where he began his love of beautiful wood. The ice chest kept things cold and being February, his family’s love kept each other warm. His family lived there for three years while Grandpa built their beautiful red-brick home next door. He was adored by his big sister, Sue Ann, and his little sisters, Kathy, Jeannie and Jaynie brought him so much love. As his family grew, his bedroom was moved out onto the back porch just outside the kitchen window. He thought he was the lucky person to get to sleep out there close to his dog. His sisters would try to see who could surprise him and turn on the electric blanket so he could get into warm sheets. German Shepherd dogs were the family’s favorite and cats roamed to take care of the gophers on the irrigation ditches. One of the most traumatic Barney dog stories was when one of their beautiful dogs was run over, receiving a broken hip. Dennis and his dad fixed the problem. They made the first legitimate skateboard, tied it to his feet, and watched him heal with health and speed. When he was able to finally “hop” on his own, he was endearingly called “Hop”.
I married a farmer and oh how he loved being raised on a farm. He and his sisters played in the haystacks, gathered eggs, rode horses through the fields, rounded up cattle and fed lost baby lambs. They spent hours playing on a merry-go-round made of tractor seats and big tractor tires engineered by his creative father. They ate their own beef. They even had a pet monkey named Chippie! Dennis and his family worked hard preparing the fields for planting, irrigating, chopping weeds out of the fields and then picking the cotton. Dennis loved his Dad’s hired hands, Joe Ochoa, Billy Sexton and Clarence. Clarence only had one hand and Dennis always said that he was the best “hand” on the place.
As a boy, Dennis always wanted a brother but he was given four sisters instead. He dad tried to compensate by buying him a donkey, named Harry, and an old buggy that Dennis loved to give his sisters rides in, and that is when his love for horse-drawn carriages began.
Dennis loved his dad and learned to work hard at an early age. It was his job to milk the old milk cow, Granny Girl, in the early mornings and evenings. His sisters like to take turns getting up to help him by holding her tail. He was such a tease and sometimes would squirt them in the face. At least the cats appreciated his humor!
On rare occasions, Dennis tattled on his sisters. One time, his Dad asked him to go outside and find a switch off the peach tree. He brought in an extra large switch and to his amazement, his Dad used it on him for tattling and getting his sister in trouble. After that, he learned to solve his own problems and rarely shared any sibling conflicts with his father.
He was always playing and teasing with his sisters and one time they got him back. Jeannie, the innocent one, was always able to get Jaynie or Kathy to be the doer of “the deed”. Jaynie tells the story this way: Dennis had been working hard on the farm and at noon he came in hot and tired to rest. He was lying on his back in the lazy boy when Jeannie said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if we put pepper on a spoon and put it under his nose?” Jaynie replied, “Sure, that would be funny,” so she poured the pepper and I held the spoon under his “snoring” nose. He lunged out of his chair snorting blazes of fire, one nostril and then the next, as we sat there laughing. Our laughter quickly turned to terror as we saw his face and realized the outcome of our deeds. Our family has laughed about this story many times remembering it as the only day Dennis got mad at us”.
Being disobedient didn’t ever seem to be a problem with Dennis except a few incidences with his red ranchero. He loved to drive fast and sometimes left skid marks on friend’s sidewalks. When his dad was bishop, Dennis kept getting speeding tickets and at that time they published them in the newspaper, using his given name, Talmage Barney, “cited for speeding” on this street or that. His dad was getting quite embarrassed as people thought it was him and finally threatened Dennis that HE would be driving that 1964 red ranchero if Dennis didn’t slow down. Dennis did slow down his driving, but it wasn’t until after his Dad got to have a few weeks of driving Dennis’ prized ranchero. To Dennis’ chagrin, his dad would love to roar the pipes as he left to his Bishopric meetings. I can tell the rest of that story because we were dating at the time -- Dennis was allowed to drive the family’s Plymouth station wagon with a rear-facing back seat which was nicknamed “Pig” probably because it was painted pink. Think of him coming to pick me up for a date….oh how humility comes in different ways. But, we laughed and had fun anyway!
Dennis and I had an incredible courtship as we have had a fairytale life together. We had known of each other in groups but it was when we were placed in the same seminary class the second semester of our senior year that our story began. As luck would have it, Dennis’ seat assignment was right behind mine. From that time on we grew to be such good friends. We would tease and make silly talk and even joked about getting married some day and having 12 kids. Little did we know how close to being true that would be. I am not sure if it was his big, smiling face, the way he walked with his feet turned out or his obvious love for everyone that touched my heart, but I began to slowly fall in love with him. I kept wanting him to ask me out and some of my friends kept saying that he wanted to, but HE was too shy. I remember the night of our seminary graduation on the temple grounds looking for him, just hoping to catch a glimpse. Our first semi-date was when he asked me home that night from the seminary graduation dance. I knew then that I had found “my prince”.
It was always special to us that we got to be graduates of the 1964 Class of Mesa High. After graduation, we seemed to spend every minute we could together. We had so much fun that summer going on double dates with Dennis’ cousin, Jimmy Robson and one of his really good friends, Dean Haws and others. The fun thing was that on some of these dates the other guys took my cousin, Frankie Pomeroy.
Dennis and I both started college at MCC in the fall. The more I grew to know Dennis, the more I grew to love him. I knew he was such a good person by the way he respected his dad and loved his mother and sisters -- and all his relatives.
One of the sweetest early memories was at Christmas time that year. I was home and our doorbell rang. I remember opening the door and there stood Dennis, his mother and one of his sisters--and I am sorry I can’t remember which one. They were holding several wrapped Christmas gifts. They had come to wish me and my family a Merry Christmas. I can’t remember what those gifts were but there were gifts for me, my mother, my father, my brother, Larry, and my sister, Linda. It was that day that in my heart Dennis became my Father Christmas and oh how we have enjoyed the Christmas seasons. I have loved Dennis for the way he has loved my family. He loves my brothers and my sisters and all their families as if they are his own….and I say “loves” because he still does.
It was shortly after the new year that Dennis left for his mission to London, England where he would find some his dearest friendships in his missionary companions and those people he served. I didn’t know how I could be without him, but I did know that he was where he should be. We wrote letters back and forth, and I kept close to his family. I would love going to his home for Sunday dinners and take his little sisters places, especially ice skating. His cousin, Jim, would try to keep me occupied by taking me ice skating. You’ll have to ask him about our traumatic ice skating story. I have always wished that I could have served a mission while Dennis was serving his. He grew so much spiritually, while I waited and dated. I dated some really great guys, but I knew that my heart belonged to Dennis. When Dennis returned home, he came with a lifetime love for the English people. To this day we have many dear English friends and one of his greatest desires was to get them to come and visit us to be able to take them to Salt Lake and show them all the incredible Church History sites. We were so grateful to be able to do that with Brian Pratricia Greene and I will never forget how happy he was when they were here. Some of our favorite trips were to England to visit those sweet friends. Dennis’ mission not only gave him a great love for the English people, but more importantly a greater love for our Savior, Jesus Christ. That was also the beginning of his commitment to try to do everything the Lord wanted him to do.
Dennis and I were soon engaged and married in the Mesa, Arizona temple on August 18, 1967. I had never been to Disneyland, so that is where Dennis wanted to take me. We have been on either a merry-go-round or a roller coaster ride ever since.
As newlyweds, we were blessed to live in a single-wide, one bedroom mobile home next to Dennis’ parent’s home. Dennis continued to work on the farm, went to school , and we started our precious family a year later with the arrival of our first son, Jason, on August 28, 1968. Jason has been such a rock for us all -- he does prefer jazz music over rock though. Fourteen months later, our second son, Denny, arrived. Denny’s zest for life has been such a joy. Fourteen months after that, our first adorable daughter, DeAnn, blessed our home. We were so thrilled to get a little girl. It was fun to watch how differently her daddy held and reacted to her. Fortunately, we were able to add a room for the boys when DeAnn came along. I had several cute little nieces and nephews that we always loved to have come over. One time, we couldn’t find some of them…they had disappeared to play. We had a really good laugh when we found them in the big metal water tank…to see all those heads bopping up with green moss covering their heads and faces!! We were blessed to have my niece, Gail, come to live with us for several years….she quite enjoyed her travel-trailer suite that was pulled up along our mobile home. Her brother, Rick, wasn’t so lucky….he got the lean-to shed out behind our mobile home. Those where such good times. They didn’t even care what I cooked to eat, just as long as there was lots of it. When we moved into our new home in Mesa, we were blessed to have Gail stay on with us. She grew to love our kids so much and was such a great help with our growing family as was her little sister, Christine.
Farming had taken a downturn and Dennis helped his parents convert one of their farms into a Mobile Home park, just to survive. Dennis began selling mobile homes that he would buy without carpet and furnishings and would then put in really nice carpet and upgraded furnishings. In 1973, we moved into our first new home that Dennis had built. We lived in that home for 13 wonderful years and made so many life-long friendships that we treasure to this day.
On August 6,1973, our daughter, Jennifer, joined our family. Jennifer has been an incredible example to us of how to love life. Two years later, September 10, 1975, Stacy came dancing into our lives, bringing with her so much joy. Three years to the day later, September 10, 1978, Darin became the new kid on the block. I think of him as our quiet giant. On March 6, 1981, Bryan (aka Angel Face) was born. He has brought so much humor into our lives.
It was during these years that Dennis had started The Carpet Company which actually began in the garage of our home in Mesa. We were blessed to have Edwin Lamoreaux, my sister’s husband, join with Dennis in building the business that has been the pride of our families. It was also a joy to Dennis to have his baby sister, Jaynie, be the secretary. Edwin and Linda moved to Texas to create their own legacy and after that Dennis went onto rename our business Landmark Interiors. I can say that from the very beginning, it was a family business. Dennis always maintained that your business is only as good as your employees, and he bragged that he had the very best….and I can’t start mentioning names or I will leave someone out. You know who you are and how you were loved
Kimberly was our next addition arriving on June 6, 1983. We were so thrilled to have another little girl. She was such a sweet, gentle child and is still that way today. She has been such an example to our family as she has endured her trials. Her dad recently experienced a tiny bit of her type of pain, and he kept saying, “I don’t know how Kimberly does this
Justin was born August 7, 1987. He probably looks more like his dad than any of the other kids. And he has so many of his dad’s great qualities, just like his other 9 siblings. We thought he was our caboose, but, then came Lindsey on February 23, 1990. Lindsey is our “baby” and what a special one she has been. Dennis loved his “babies” and has been so proud them as they have grown into adults. I know that he is smiling with pride right now.
So much was happening during these years. We tried to buy a lot next to our home Mesa for several years. It wasn’t to be…Dennis finally built us a home in Gilbert which we moved into in the spring of 1984. Dennis was getting involved with his real estate adventures and enjoyed developing wonderful projects with his partners, Ray and Jerry. He was so excited about Val Vista Lakes and the beauty it brought to the east valley.
One of Dennis’ greatest joys was being able to be a part of the restoration of the Nauvoo Temple. This temple has great significance in the history of our church and represents the great sacrifice that was made in our behalf. We were blessed to take many trips to Nauvoo for the open house and then for the dedication. I’ll never forget the seeing tears in Dennis’ eyes as we sat in the dedication just three rows in front of President Hinckley, a great man that we loved very much.
It was a great surprise to our family when Dennis was called to serve as President of the Tempe Arizona University Stake, but it was one of his most special callings. He loved all those young people and believed in them. He felt so blessed to serve with so many wonderful people, each of whom he grew to love so much.
Dennis spent many years working with the Arizona Interfaith Movement. He was humbly honored to receive the Darl Anderson Award at their annual Golden Rule Awards Banquet last year in Phoenix. He called each of you his brothers and sisters.
The newspapers have been so wonderful in stating the many accomplishments that Dennis has given to the community It is funny because some of our own children did not realize how involved he was. They thought it was all great and wonderful but they realized that the most important thing to their dad was them, his family. As one of my daughters said, “We were the meat and everything else was the gravy!”. We always tried to take the time to help each one of them feel of our love.
The last three to four years we have been busy fulfilling a dream that has been ours for many years, the building of our new ranch house on the point of the mountain on the original 13 Ranch property. Some of my most precious memories are the many trips Dennis and I have taken every Friday up to the ranch to get it completed. We would visit all the way up (when his cell phone got out of range), stop for hot chocolate and feel the peace and wonder of this beautiful world. Just being with him made me feel happy.
It was a huge undertaking because as you all know, Dennis wanted it perfect for all of us. It is a place where we can gather our family together. It is also a place where he could honor his own father and those loved ones who have gone on before us. It is a place where we can laugh and play games, ride horses, fish, build memories, and most importantly, a place where we can just be together as one big family. And we have been able to do all that. Our family will forever cherish the memories that have already been created at “The Ranch”…and what a blessing that these memories included Dennis.
Dennis loved everyone. He loved each of you. He loved his family and his Pomeroy family. He loved his sisters and their spouses and their children. He loved his children and their spouses and his grandchildren. And he loved me. He was my prince and I was his Cinderella…..last Monday when I first received the heartbreaking news of his passing, I felt like my world had crumbled and that my Fairytale life had ended….then I realized that Dennis has gone away for just a short while to build our next mansion in Circle H, this one for heavenly glory. And I won’t be surprised if it is a castle made out of logs!
It is kind of ironic that Dennis Barney died because of an enlarged heart….WE all knew he had a big heart!! And he shared the love in that heart with all of us. What a great gift it was to have him in our lives.
Dennis Barney was and is my best friend and the love of my life.
Funeral Service, Monday, January 12, 2009, by Ann Barney
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| LtoR Elders Wilson, Watson and Barney, 1965 |
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| Elder Barney back left with Kent Gardiner back third from left, England 1965 |
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| Elder Barney, aka Santa 1966 British South Mission, England, 1965 |
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| Elder Barney with his sisters. |
Obituary
Talmage Dennis Barney passed away
peacefully at his home on January 5, 2009. He was 62 years old. Dennis was born on February 8, 1946 in Phoenix, Arizona to Talmage and Clarene Robson Barney. Dennis worked together with his beloved parents and four sisters on the family farm and aspired to continue a life of farming by obtaining a degree in Agricultural Economics from Arizona State University.
In 1967, after serving a mission to England for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Dennis married his high school sweetheart, Ann Pomeroy. Together they were blessed to raise 10 wonderful children and become the proud grandparents of 24 grandchildren.
His diverse professional career included ventures ranging from ranching, to custom home building and land development. Dennis was actively involved with the growth of the East Valley and instrumental in numerous developments including Circle G Ranches, Val Vista Lakes, and The San Tan Village Shopping Center. Dennis was the first chairman and a founding board member of The United Food Bank and sat on several other boards and commissions.
Dennis actively served in his church in many capacities including as a High Councilor and Bishop. At the time of his passing, Dennis was serving the LDS student population at Arizona State University as President of the ASU Student Stake. His understanding of the power of faith to change the world gave him a strong respect for the beliefs of others leading to extensive involvement in the Arizona Interfaith Movement. His crowning joy in life was his family. His favorite place to be was up on the family ranch with Ann, surrounded by his children, grandchildren and horses.
Dennis is survived by Ann, his wife of 41 years, and his children Jason (Traci), Denny (Nichole), DeAnn (Kade), Jennifer (Talan), Stacy (Greg), Darin (Megan), Bryan (Shelly), Kimberly (Drummer), Justin , Lindsey and his four sisters, Sue Ann Huso, Kathy Thompson, Jeanne Copple, Jaynie Stahle, and numerous extended family whom he loved. He was preceded in death by his loving parents, Talmage and Clarene, and granddaughter, Ella. Dennis could be defined in one sentence: Dennis Barney never met a person he didn’t love.
A viewing will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, at the Barney home, 1075 N. Honeysuckle Lane in Gilbert. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Val Vista Stake Center, 1005 N. Voyager, Gilbert. The funeral service also will be broadcast at the LDS Institute of Religion, Tempe, Arizona University Stake, 1000 W. McAllister Ave., Tempe; LDS Chapel, 1150 E. Guadalupe Road, Gilbert; and LDS Chapel, 1483 N. Driftwood Drive, Gilbert.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the United Food Bank at (480) 926-4897, Arizona Interfaith Movement at (602) 261-6704, or General Missionary Fund of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
T. Dennis Barney died on January 5, 2009.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona on February 8, 1946, T. Dennis Barney
was the only boy of five children born to Talmage and Clarene Robson Barney.
He was raised on the family farm and went on to attain a degree in agricultural
economics from Arizona State University. On August 18, 1967, Dennis Barney
married Ann Pomeroy, his high school sweetheart. Dennis and Ann raised ten
children, Jason, Denny, DeAnn, Jennifer, Stacey, Darin, Bryan, Kimberly, Justin
and Lindsey, and became proud grandparents of twenty-four grandchildren.
Dennis Barney explored a number of different careers,
including
ranching, custom homebuilding and land development. His interest in
real
estate led him to become involved in the development and growth of the
East Valley. Dennis was active in his community, serving as a founding
member and the
first chairman of the United Food Bank. He ably served as High
Counselor and
Bishop at his church and as President of the ASU Student Stake for the
Latter
Day Saints student population, and was involved in the Arizona
Interfaith
Movement. His greatest joy in life was to be with his family and
friends.
House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, Resolution
House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, Resolution
T. Dennis Barney will be greatly missed by his wife of
forty-one years as well as his family and many friends.
Therefore
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring:
That the Members of the Legislature sincerely regret the
passing of T. Dennis Barney and extend their deepest sympathies to his
surviving family members and friends.
Dennis died of an "enlarged heart": What is an enlarged heart? Think of a healthy heart like a firm biceps muscle. An enlarged heart is just the opposite.
When your heart is enlarged, it’s like a soft biceps — it’s weak and out of shape. Your body starts to retain fluid, your lungs get congested with fluid and your heart begins to beat irregularly.
“In general the term ‘enlarged heart’ refers to heart failure,” said Clyde Yancy, M.D., past president of the American Heart Association and chief of the Division of Cardiology and the Magerstadt Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “This is a common condition that’s more likely to occur in older patients. It’s most strongly related to a history of high blood pressure or a previous heart attack.”
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the main type of
cardiomegaly. In dilated cardiomyopathy, the walls of both the left and
right side of the heart (ventricles) become thin and stretched. The
result is an enlarged heart
Burial:
Dennis died of an "enlarged heart": What is an enlarged heart? Think of a healthy heart like a firm biceps muscle. An enlarged heart is just the opposite.
When your heart is enlarged, it’s like a soft biceps — it’s weak and out of shape. Your body starts to retain fluid, your lungs get congested with fluid and your heart begins to beat irregularly.
“In general the term ‘enlarged heart’ refers to heart failure,” said Clyde Yancy, M.D., past president of the American Heart Association and chief of the Division of Cardiology and the Magerstadt Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “This is a common condition that’s more likely to occur in older patients. It’s most strongly related to a history of high blood pressure or a previous heart attack.”
An enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) can have various causes. But it's usually caused by high blood pressure (hypertension) or coronary artery disease.
An enlarged heart may not pump blood effectively, resulting in congestive heart failure. Cardiomegaly may improve over time. But most people with an enlarged heart need lifelong treatment with medications.
Types of Enlarged Heart
The
heart enlarges in response to damage to the heart muscle. Up to a
point, enlargement permits the heart to continue to pump blood normally.
As enlargement progresses, though, the heart's pumping ability
declines.
Burial:
Mesa
Maricopa County
Arizona, USA