William E. Barnes

William E. Barnes, 76 years old, of West Hartford, husband of Martha Hunt Barnes returned to the arms of the Father on March 19th. Born in Providence, RI, the son of the late Peter and Charlotte Walsh Barnes. He was a veteran of the Korean War having served in Signals Intelligence as an official US Cryptographer. He was a 1956 graduate of Providence College. Mr. Barnes retired from the National Hockey League in 1997. He was a founding partner of the New England Whalers Hockey Club. After leaving the Whalers in 1990, he joined the New York Islanders and from there spent six years with the two time Stanley Cup Champions, Pittsburgh Penguins as Senior Executive Vice President. He was a pioneer in utilizing telemarketing as a successful sales tool and also in the development of in-ice and dasherboard advertising and for many years was considered the Dean of NHL Marketing Directors. He was a member of the Old Guard and was involved in various charitable endeavors; the Society to Prevent Blindness, Multiple Sclerosis, the United Way, and the UConn Children?s Cancer Fund. In Pittsburgh he served on the Board of the Downtown YMCA, the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and the St. Francis Hospital Courage to Comeback Campaign. Besides his wife, he leaves three daughters, Ellen B. O?Hare and husband John of Corning, NY, Kathleen B. Powers and husband Edward of Stow, MA, and Elizabeth B. Ray of West Hartford; two sons William E. Barnes, Jr. and wife Deborah of Nashua, NH, and Michael H. Barnes and wife Michelle of Wolcott, CT; he leaves three brothers, Rev. Robert W. Barnes of Plainfield, CT, Dr. Kenneth A. Barnes of Cranston, RI, and Peter H. Barnes, Jr. and wife Barbara of Edison, NJ, and a sister Elizabeth Pavilon and husband Stanley of Shaker Heights, OH and 11 grandchildren. He is predeceased by two sisters, Charlotte E. Barnes and Barbara L. Anderson. Funeral services will be held Saturday March 25, at 9:30 am from the Molloy Funeral Home 906 Farmington Ave. West Hartford, with the celebration of his Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am in St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Burial will follow in Fairview Cemetery, West Hartford. Friends and family may call on Friday from 4-7 pm at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill?s memory to the LaSalette Missionaries, 947 Park Street, Attleboro, MA 02703.

William E. Barnes

March 9, 1930 - March 19, 2006