Willie Jon Barnette, 86, of Orange, Texas passed peacefully at home on August 7, 2026. A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Orange First Church of the Nazarene in Orange. Burial will follow at Orange Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Orange. Visitation will be held 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday, August 28, 2026, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.
Jon was born on January 13, 1940 in Shreveport, Louisiana to Willie and Edna Barnette. He graduated from Cotton Valley High School in 1957 and then earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (later named Louisiana Tech University). He went on to earn a MS and PhD in chemical engineering from Louisiana State University. Dr. W.J. Barnette worked as a senior engineer in research and development at Sabine Research Laboratory at DuPont Sabine River Works for 35 years until his retirement and then continued as a consultant for many years.
While at LSU, he met the love of his life, Mary Ann Ross. They were married in 1965 and later moved to Orange, Texas. Throughout the next 61 years, Jon and Mary Ann built a beautiful life to include three children and six grandchildren who they fiercely loved. Together, they modeled for them a real-life example of faithful love and dedication few get to experience in our world today. The couple were avid collectors of many things, but Jon especially loved antique clocks. He had the patience, knowledge, and meticulous attention to detail to work on his collection. Being handy and good at fixing things, Jon could often be found completing projects for church, friends, or family.
As a longtime member of Orange First Church of the Nazarene, he served on the church board and over 27 years on the finance committee. His servant leadership extended to the community. He started volunteering at Sabine Federal Credit Union on the supervisory committee in 2008, serving as chairman from 2019-2021. In 2021, Jon became a board member, and the following year he was named secretary of the board and remained as secretary until this year.
Jon is preceded in death by his parents, Willie Garland Barnette and Edna Belle Russell Barnette of Cotton Valley, Louisiana and his twin sister, Edna Jan Barnette Green of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Jon is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Mary Ann Barnette of Orange, Texas. He is survived by his daughter Laura Gazzaway with husband Alex of Orange, Texas, daughter, Carol Leigh Barnette of Orange, Texas, and son, David Jon Barnette with wife Cheree of Denton, Texas. He is also survived by the grandchildren who called him Pop: Zach Gazzaway, Parker Gazzaway, Grace (and Thomas) Fischer, Cameron Gazzaway, Aiden Barnette, and Hadley Barnette.
Honoring Jon as pallbearers will be: David Barnette, Alex Gazzaway, Zach Gazzaway, Parker Gazzaway, Grace Fischer, Cameron Gazzaway, Aiden Barnette, and Hadley Barnette.
Jon, you are a good man. You will be greatly missed. And yet, we have the Hope that you are joining the great cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) and some day we will see you again. You have been and will continue to be the best husband, Dad, and Pop.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Orange First Church of the Nazarene; 3810 Martin Luther King Junior Drive, Orange, Texas 77632.