Brenda Gail Barnes

Brenda Gail (Painter) Barnes, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2023, at Pruitt Health of Raleigh, North Carolina, after several years of declining health.

Born on February 13, 1942, in Charlotte, North Carolina, Brenda was the daughter of Alvern Luther Painter and Edna (Guin) Painter. While she was a small child, her family moved to the town of Tarboro, where she lived until completing high school. Brenda then attended East Carolina College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1964.

During a summer missions trip to Colorado in her college years, she met Lyndel C. “Lyn” Barnes, a young Army chaplain who would later become the love of her life. After a courtship conducted mostly long distance, the two were married in Tarboro, North Carolina, on December 15, 1963. She and Lyn raised two children, Berrit Gail and Lyndel Evan. Though primarily a devoted homemaker, Brenda was always active in her church and also worked occasionally as a teacher.

In addition to North Carolina, Brenda lived in several other states and even spent 3 years in West Germany, where she supported Lyn in his ministry as a chaplain. However, she always felt most at home in North Carolina and spent the final 25 years of her life there, living all but two of those years in Greenville. Brenda and Lyn were members of First Penetecostal Holiness Church.

Brenda is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Jack A. Painter, and her sister-in-law Catherine (Stephenson) Painter. She is survived by her children; her daughter-in-law Anne (Zdrojewski) Barnes; her granddaughters Isabella and Bethany Laqeretabua; her brother Harold D. Painter; her sister-in-law Virginia (Sasser) Painter; her nieces Jennifer (Keith) Batts, Donna (Bill) Byrd, Tamara (Craig) Peebles, Melanie (Craig) Hobson; and her nephews Scot (Kelly) Painter, Philip (Jane) Painter, and Bryan (Tracy) Painter.

Brenda's family and friends will always remember her for her loving and gentle nature, her sensitivity and concern for others, her deep Christian faith, and her unwavering devotion to her family. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Funeral services for Brenda will be held on March 18, 2023. There will be a visitation at Carlisle Funeral Home in Tarboro, with a graveside service to follow at Edgecombe Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to First Penetecostal Holiness Church of Greenville (204 Brinkley Rd, Greenville, NC 27858).

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