Trinidad Virginia Perez Barnes

Trinidad Virginia Perez Barnes, 90, was born on September 3, 1932, in El Paso, TX and passed away peacefully at home on November 18, at 4:23 am with her son, Robert Michael, and her precious Yorkshire terriers, Buttercup and Petunia, by her side. 

Virginia grew up in central El Paso, where she lived with her parents, her two sisters and five brothers. She attended Bowie High School and worked alongside her father at the Popular Department store during that time.

In 1979, she graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, specializing in Reading.

Virginia was blessed with the gift of teaching and had a passion to help cultivate a lifelong love of learning among her seven children and her numerous students. She taught 2nd through 6th grade at various schools such as Schuster, Paul Moreno, Burnette, Canyon Hills, Magoffin, and Logan Elementary School, to name a few. She was a teacher for 30+ years for the EPISD.

She was an avid reader, and especially loved poetry. Some of her favorite poets and authors were Robert Frost and Harriet Beacher Stowe. She was known to be stern, but fair, and her students loved her and she loved them. 

She loved to study the Holy Bible, watch Mother Angelica, Jonathan Cahn, and Franklin Graham on TV. One would often find her praying the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13, every night. It was her habit to pray for her children, grandchildren, and friends regularly by name during her evening prayer time. 

On February 29, 1952, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, she married Grady Le Moyne Barnes after a two-week, whirlwind courtship. Their love for each other had no bounds and took them on an adventurous 62 years of life together before his passing in 2014. They raised seven children, five sons and two daughters. Her devotion and love for them and their families was an example for all.

Their military lifestyle led them to live in various places including Germany; Okinawa, Japan; Oklahoma; Austin, Texas and ultimately to return to her hometown of El Paso. She was a member of the Military Officers’ Wives’ Club and the Northeast Garden Club of El Paso.

Virginia enjoyed sewing, reading, gardening, ceramic making, cooking and all types of dancing, with tap being one of her favorites. She was an award-winning golfer with a love for a good cup of coffee and red lipstick. Her favorite types of music were Classical, Opera, Big Band, and Motown. Her favorite singer was Elvis Presley. 

She enjoyed the outdoors including camping in national parks, viewing the night sky at different observatories, visiting relatives, and going “Casino RV-ing”. 

Virginia was a lifelong Christian and worshiped at Blessed Sacrament and St. Michael’s Catholic Church. Additionally, she attended Synagogue Beth Israel after she discovered her previously-hidden Jewish roots. 

Virginia was preceded in death by her husband, Grady L. Barnes and her son Gary Edward.  She was also preceded in death by her parents, Baltazar and Silvia Rodriguez Perez, her sister, Alice Martinez, her brothers, Salvador, the twins, Arturo and Alfonso, Baltazar Jr, and Guillermo Perez. 

She is survived by her sister, Maria Shelton, (James), her daughters Patricia Denton, (Jim), K. Cheryl Scales, (James), her sons, David, (Carrie), Daniel, (Jane), Robert Michael, and John, (Shelly). 

She leaves a legacy of 23 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, one great-great granddaughter and many nieces and nephews.

Virginia was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend. She is deeply missed, for she was deeply loved. She is now presently dancing on those streets of gold in Heaven with her sweetheart Grady, and her savior, the LORD Jesus Christ. 

Proverbs 31:30 “…But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”

Visitation will be from 10:00am to 12:30pm with a Rosary at 11:00am on Monday, December 05, 2022 at Sunset Funeral Homes-Northeast 4631 Hondo Pass Drive.  Funeral Mass will follow at 1:00pm at Blessed Scarament Catholic Church, 9025 Diana Drive.  Committal Service will begin at 2:30pm at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.  Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Homes-Northeast.  Please visit her online memorial at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net.