Alvaton — E.C. Barnes, 85, of Alvaton, passed away peacefully Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at home.
He was born in Corbin, Kentucky, in 1940, to the late Earl and Ida Barnes, and though life carried him to Hazard and Bowling Green, Corbin never stopped being home. He graduated from Corbin High School in 1957 and, in July 1958, at just 17 and out of a deep love for his country, enlisted in the U.S. Army.
Trained as a radio mechanic, he served on active duty until 1963, including three years stationed in Germany, and remained proudly patriotic throughout his life.
In 1964 he married Patty, his wife of 62 years, at 17th Street Christian Church in Corbin, and that spring began a 35-year career with United Parcel Service, which took the family to Hazard and then to Bowling Green, where they raised their three children.
He retired in 2000. A devoted follower of Jesus Christ, E.C. was a longtime member of Greenwood Baptist Church and the Masonic Lodge. He grew up fishing the creeks and lakes of southeastern Kentucky and was never happier than on the water with a rod in his hand. A lifelong fisherman and deer hunter, he was most at home outdoors, whether in a deer stand at daybreak or waiting on a bite, and he passed that love of the outdoors on to his children and grandchildren.
He loved his dogs—Apollo, Suzie, and Abby—and, above all, loved telling anyone who would listen about his children and grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Connie High, and his sisters, Jeanette Gilbert and Billy Yates. He is survived by his wife, Patty; his daughter, Brenda (Dan) Uhls; his son, Steven (Debbie) Barnes of Williamsburg, Virginia; son-in-law Sid High; and seven grandchildren: Connor, Callie, Caroline, Isabella, Isaac, Elijah, and Rebecca.
Visitation will be held Saturday, September 26th from 10:00 to 11:45 a.m. at J.C. Kirby and Son Funeral Chapel on Lovers Lane, with the funeral service beginning at 11:45 a.m. Burial will follow at Bowling Green Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to J.C. Kirby & Son Funeral Chapel.
