Anne H. Barnes

June 7, 1929 - October 11, 2020

Anne H. Barnes. Born Anne Macdougall Howard, June 7, 1928 at Cottage Hospital to John Macdougall Howard ("Mac) and Mary Kathryn Howard (nee Hayden). Her early life was spent in the surrounding vicinity of her great grandmother's tea room and school which became the original Howard School, established in 1912, in Montecito (site of Laguna Blanca Middle School today). She grew up at a time when the family's historic Spanish-style house on the top of the Rivera was one of the few that stuck out on the top of the hill. It was a meeting place for the family at every holiday, often including four generations in the same room. She and her brother Jack spent hours exploring the back country of Santa Barbara, combingthe beach for treasures, and riding waves at Miramar, where the family had a beach house. She attended Santa Barbara High School and was a "Don" to the very end--still attending reunions and kept contacts with her classmates throughout her life. Upon graduation, Anne attended Occidental College. She met Richard Lee Paul during her last two years at Occidental after he returned from the War. In 1949 they were married at All Saints by the Sea. Dick, as he was known, was the son of Westley L. Paul and Bernice Livingston Paul of Beverley Hills. Shortly after marriage, Anne and Dick lived in Beverley Hills. Anne taught school while Dick finished college. After graduation, they moved to Santa Barbara, where she taught at the Roosevelt School until the birth of her first child, Richard M. Paul in 1954. After a couple years of Santa Barbara life surfing and cruising the beaches and islands in Dick's 20-foot fishing trawler, duty called. Dick was summonsed to join the family investment business with his father and brother. The family moved to Pacific Palisades. Shortly after the move, Anne's second son, Douglas L. Paul was born in 1956. They lived a charmed life spending many days at Dick's family beach house in Trancas, Malibu with friends and family--always participating in some type of sport from beach volleyball to surfing. Tragedy struck in the spring of 1963 when Dick suffered a fatal injury while surfing in Hawaii. In the blink of an eye, everything changed. Dick and Anne were both only 35-years-old. Anne suddenly found herself a single mother with two young children. She decided to move back to Santa Barbara to be close to relatives and family. Two years later, a mutual friend set her up on a blind date with a doctor from Idaho who was visiting Santa Barbara. Eight months later Anne was engaged in Sun Valley, Idaho to Dr. Ervine S. Bills. They were married four months later at the Howard family home. They moved to Idaho. Although it was very beautiful there, Anne longed for the ocean and a bit more sophistication. After a search of the West Coast, they decided move to Yarrow Point Township on Lake Washington. In the evenings, they went to the theater, Seattle Opera and symphony. Days were spent sailing on their sailboat "Wasco" visiting the many islands and inlets until they found "the One"--a piece of property on Marrowstone Island where they built a vacation home that they would enjoy for many years. They eventually landed close to Langley on Whidby Island until Erv's death in 1996. For a few years afterward, Anne would divide her time between Whidby and Santa Barbara. In 1998, she married one of the family's closest friends, who himself had been recently widowed, Major General John W. Barnes. From that point on, she was "on manoeuvers" all over the world--attending West Point reunions, Army-Navy games, countless cruises, and "Untours" to Europe. One of her biggest thrills was sitting next to Neal Armstrong at an Army-Navy game dinner. In 2006, the couple moved to Valle Verde retirement community where they made many friends and enjoyed the collegial environment. The following year, the General suddenly passed away. Anne remained at Valle Verde in independent living until her death on October 11, 2020. Anne was involved in philanthropic activities in every city in which she lived. She was most proud of her work as a docent at the Museum of Natural History and the Santa Barbara Courthouse. She also enjoyed her memberships in PEO, Junior League and "Monday Group"--the latter founded by her best friend and cousin, Isabel Bartolome, who passed in January of 2020. Anne is survived by her two sons Richard Paul and Douglas Paul, and his son Phillip. She is also survived by the daughters of Ervine S. Bills, Nancy Babbs and Susan Moe; as well as the children of General Barnes, son Brian and daughter Kathy.