Obituary of Henry Augustus Barnett

Henry Augustus “Hank” Barnett, Jr., died Aug. 11, 2010, in Portland, Ore. He was 83. Born July 19, 1927, in Bay City, Mich., to Henry A. and Margaret Barnett, Hank attended Bay City Central High School and Baker Business College in Michigan. Hank served his country in many capacities, joining the U.S. Merchant Marines at age 17 during World War II and serving in the Philippines. He served in the U.S. Army in post-war Germany, and on the front lines in the Korean War, where his mortar-fire wounds earned him a Purple Heart. During his recovery in a U.S. Army hospital in Yokohama, Japan, Hank met Shizue Suzuki, a registered nurse on the surgical ward. They married and raised their family in Michigan. He worked as a journeyman plumber, and joined the United Association Local 370. Hank was a devoted family man who will be remembered by all who knew and loved him as an independent thinker and a consummate do-it-yourselfer. He tuned his own car, cut his own hair, and built two houses almost single-handedly. Hank is survived by his wife of 55 years, Shizue Barnett, of Portland, and two children, Henry A. Barnett III of Portland, Ore.; and Linda S. Kobo of Yokohama, Japan; brother, Charles F. Barnett, of Vassar, Mich.; sister, Marguerite Hogan, of Waterford, Mich,; and sister-in-law Margaret Barnett (James A.) of Holly, Mich. Hank also leaves behind three grandchildren, Joie Xia Li Barnett, Jacquelyn Xiaohua Barnett, and Sayuri Lily Kobo, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. His son, Joseph Henry, and a brother, James Alfred, died before him. Memorial services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, 2010 at Willamette National Cemetery, with family and friends assembling at the Memorial Drive Gate at 2:00 p.m. A reception will follow the service from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Multnomah Athletic Club. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Alzheimer's Association or Disabled American Veterans.