For Barnes, playing the pipe organ was his life

Ed Koch

Wednesday, May 31, 2006 | 7:20 a.m.

At age 11, Raymond J. Barnes fell in love with the pipe organ after hearing his music teacher play the instrument.

Three years later, Barnes was good enough to play the pipe organ for funerals and weddings at a church in his native Adrian, Mich.

Barnes played the pipe organ May 21 for Sunday morning services at Reformation Lutheran Church, just hours before he died of a heart attack at his Las Vegas home, his family said. He was 73.

Barnes also taught music in the Clark County School District for 25 years at Adcock, Ronzone, Griffith and other elementary schools and helped develop the district's music curriculum.

A memorial will be at 4 p.m. June 11 in the recital hall at UNLV's Beam Music Center, where a huge pipe organ was installed two years ago thanks to the efforts of a committee that included Barnes.

"My husband loved the true sound of the pipe organ - a sound you feel deep down inside," said Inga-Britt Barnes. "It was his life to play the pipe organ."

Barnes was organist and choirmaster at Las Vegas Trinity United Methodist Church for 36 years before going to Reformation Lutheran. He co-founded the local chapter for the American Guild of Organists in 1968.

Born May 17, 1933, Barnes graduated from Adrian High School in 1951 and Adrian College in 1955, where he earned a bachelor of arts . He later earned a master's in education at UNLV.

In addition to his wife, Barnes is survived by two brothers, Ronald Barnes of Gulfport, Miss., and Robert Barnes of Abilene, Texas.

The family suggests that donations be made in Barnes' memory to the Lutheran Musicians Scholarship Fund at Reformation Lutheran Church, 580 E. St. Louis Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89104.