Centralia City Councilor Max Vogt and members of the community paid tribute to the late former councilor Joyce Barnes, who passed away at the age of 91 on Oct. 10, to open up their Tuesday business meeting.
Vogt, who served with Barnes, described her as a “remarkable person” and showed his admiration for her heart, generosity and service for her community, one she cared deeply about until her final days.
“I went to visit her the night before she passed, and you know what she wanted to talk about? Her city. She wasn’t moaning about the end. She wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t complaining,” Vogt said. “She was cheerful. She wanted to know how the city council was doing and what’s going on and if everything was OK. To the very end, that’s what she thought about was her community. That kind of sums up who she was.”
Vogt also remarked at her generosity with her career in real estate and property management.
“A lot of people probably don’t know this, but she was extremely generous in secret and in private, and you would never know it,” he said. “She had a property management company for years, and she owned lots of rentals. When I was reviewing her rentals with her, because I’m in the real estate industry, I noticed her rents were really low. I said, ‘Joyce, you’ve got to get your rents high.’ She said, ‘These people need housing.’ They couldn’t afford to live someplace else, so she gave them a house at low rent at her own expense.”
According to Vogt, a celebration of life event for Barnes will be held Dec. 27, which would have been her 92nd birthday, at Centralia College’s TransAlta Commons at 11 a.m.
Former councilor Elizabeth Cameron, who replaced Barnes after her final term on the council from 2017 to 2020, said she had “big shoes to fill.”
“Joyce was very much a community person helping and supporting other businesses. She had a big heart for her community and encouraged everybody. She never had a bad word to say about anyone,” Cameron said. “She just wanted the best for Centralia.”
Bonnie Canaday, former mayor of Centralia and Barnes’ sister-in-law since 1960, said Barnes was always generous, not only with her money but with her time.
“I had the honor and privilege to be with her when she passed away, and very peacefully. I miss her. I’m going to miss her,” Canaday said.
Barnes, a Centralia College graduate, served three terms on the city council including in the late 1980s and mid-1990s and then following election in 2016. She ran again for city council in 2023 at the age of 89. She also served on a variety of committees, including the city planning commission and fire advisory board, and she was the supervisor and manager for the Pearl Street Veterans Memorial Pool working to keep the pool open.
A private family graveside service is being planned at this time. Arrangements are under the care of Newell-Hoerling’s Mortuary.
For more information on Barnes’ life and career, visit previous Chronicle reporting at https://tinyurl.com/4uyshfe7.
