of Little Rock, AR

March 29, 1948 - July 12, 2025

John E. Barnes passed away on July 12, 2025 in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Born on March 29, 1948 in Cairo, Illinois, John was the son of the late John E. Barnes Sr. and the late Lorraine Merriman Barnes. In 1966 he graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson, Tennessee and then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from Union University in 1970. He was proud to be the first in his family to graduate from college.

John began his career in journalism in 1966 as a part-time sportswriter for "The Jackson Sun" while still in college. In 1968, he joined "The Commercial Appeal" in Memphis, Tennessee, covering U.S. District Court proceedings, state courts and major news across seven West Tennessee counties. From 1971 to 1974, he worked for newspapers in Humboldt, Tennessee and Russellville, Kentucky.

In 1974, John became the owner and publisher of the "Arkansas Sun" in Heber Springs, Arkansas where he remained until 1980. During his time in Heber Springs, he served as president of the Heber Springs Chamber of Commerce. He was also a founding member of the Cleburne County Arts Commission and was appointed to the Heber Springs Airport Commission.

In 1982, John transitioned into the financial services industry, beginning with Merrill Lynch. He spent five years there before joining Smith Barney and its predecessor firms for 21 years. In 2009, he joined Raymond James, where he served as the Senior Partner of the Barnes East Group. His team managed assets for nearly 100 client families and several institutions. John held several professional licenses, including General Securities Representative, Registered Investment Advisor, Uniform State Securities License and Arkansas Life, Health and Variable Annuity Insurance licenses.

John's expertise in financial matters led to regular television appearances in Little Rock during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as contributions to numerous central Arkansas publications.

In 1991, then-Governor Bill Clinton appointed him to the board of trustees of Pulaski Technical College, where he served until 2012. He was the board's founding chair, a role he held for 12 years and was reappointed by Governor Mike Huckabee to two subsequent seven-year terms. Prior to this, he spent 11 years on the Arkansas Arts Council. Altogether, John served 32 years in gubernatorial appointments.

John was a longtime member of St. James United Methodist Church in Little Rock, where he served on various administrative boards for a total of 18 years.

He is survived by his loving wife, Debbie Cranford Barnes, formerly of Heber Springs; two daughters, Christy Robinson (Aaron) of Jacksonville and Megan Keener (Josh) of Harrison; four beloved grandchildren, Mia and Alex Robinson and Parker and Wyatt Keener and his sister, Lisa Olmstead (Dwight) and family of Heber Springs.

Outside of his professional life and time with family, John had a passion for researching genealogy and spent many hours writing a book. He found great joy in playing with his beloved dogs: Gracie, as well as the late Sissy and Khaki. A lifelong fan of Jimmy Buffett and the Beach Boys, John often filled his days with their music. He was also an avid reader and a dedicated collector of model trains and rocks. His favorite memories were made on family vacations to the beaches of Florida.

John will be remembered for his lifelong commitment to public service, his journalistic integrity, his financial expertise and his devotion to his family, church and community.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, July 18, 2025 at Roller-Chenal Funeral Home with a reception to follow. Interment will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, July 19th at City of Heber Springs Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to St. James United Methodist Church or Pulaski Technical College

The service will be live-streamed on this page.

Obituary Provided By:
Roller-Chenal Funeral Home
13801 Chenal Parkway
Little Rock, AR  72211
www.rollerfuneralhomes.com