Katharine Mary Barnes
May 7, 1940 – March 24, 2024
Katharine Mary Barnes of Mount Dora, Florida passed away on Sunday March 24, 2024, at the age of 83. She was born in Newton, Massachusetts on May 7, 1940 to her parents, Robert and Helen Tully. She moved to Florida 44 years ago.
Katharine was a proud SPAR who served in the United States Coast Guard as a SK2. She received the American Spirit Honor Medal as the top SPAR in the first class sworn in since WWII. She continued to help and train other women until she was honorably discharged in 1974. Katharine was a proud Coastie Veteran.
She retired from Baptist Hospital in Pensacola after many years to travel and work as a traveling Histologist. Katharine attended St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Mount Dora. She enjoyed reading, going to the beach, and spending time with grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Matthew Tully Sr. and Helen White Tully; her brother, Robert Tully, and her husband, Jeffrey Charles Barnes. Katharine is remembered and will be dearly missed by her daughter, Debra Ortega and her husband, Jimeno of Mount Dora and her son, Jeffrey Barnes of Pensacola, Florida; siblings, Mary Tully of Niwot, Colorado and Barbara Tully of Worcester Massachusetts; grandchildren, Dean West of Pensacola FL, Robin Zarate of Texas, Owen Ortega, Loren Ortega and Willow Ortega, all of Mount Dora.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Military Women’s Memorial Foundation ~ https://womensmemorial.org/planned-giving/
