Renee Denise Barnes Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Renee Denise Barnes of Decatur, Alabama, who passed away on July 25, 2025, at the age of 97, leaving to mourn family and friends. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Renee Denise Barnes to pay them a last tribute.
She was predeceased by: her husband Lewis Barnes; her daughter Francoise; her daughter-in-law Elise Brand Barnes; and her siblings, Christiane Ponchin Gillespie (Austin Gillespie), Nicole Ponchin Vacher and Georges Ponchin.
She is survived by: her sons, Michel Barnes of Milwaukee, WI and Rene Barnes of Silver Spring, MD; her granddaughter Jessica Barnes of Milwaukee, WI; and her daughter-in-law Julia Pananen Barnes of Milwaukee. She is also survived by six great-grandchildren in Milwaukee, two nephews in the US, and 13 nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held on Monday, July 28th 2025 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Roselawn Funeral Home (741 Danville Rd SW, Decatur, AL 35601). A Mass will be held on Tuesday, July 29th 2025 at 3:00 PM at the Lord Catholic Church (3910 Spring Ave SW, Decatur, AL 35603).
Her efforts culminated in the establishment of a permanent exhibition via her donation of paintings from three generations of the Ponchin family to the Huntsville Museum of Art, and in a showing of their paintings at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. A painting by her grandfather adorns the main meeting room at the French Embassy in Washington via her generous donation.
