Dr. Richard Lee Barnes

May 6, 1936 - January 27, 2020

Dr. Richard Lee Barnes, born May 6, 1936 in Taft, CA passed away on January 27, 2020 in Salt Lake City, UT. Richard (aka Dick), son of Harold and Vera Barnes, is preceded in death by his parents and siblings Roy, Ruth, Dorothy, Mary and Les. Dick was reared in Taft, played trombone in his Taft Union H.S. Band, was selected to attend CA Boys State, graduated from BYU and went on to dental school at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI. Dick earned the prestigious Gold Foil award while in dental school and went on to become one of the most technically acclaimed dentists in the world. In 1973 Dick founded Arrowhead Dental Laboratories, now one of the largest dental laboratories, and began his career of lecturing worldwide on dental practice management techniques. Dick taught dentists to look at the importance of a patient’s need for restorations that were esthetically pleasing. This may be considered common place today but was revolutionary in Dick’s early lecturing career. His focus on the confidence, boosts in self-esteem and pure enjoyment patients received by having beautiful smiles created a dental revolution of likeminded dental professionals who affectionately considered themselves as “Barnesified.” Dick’s hobbies included being an instrument rated pilot, avid fly fisherman and yachtsman. Dick’s civic and religious achievements included Kiwanis President, City Council Member in Rialto, CA and Bishop of his Rialto LDS Ward. Dick’s children are Kenneth Barnes, Jodie Jones (deceased), Lori Farnsworth, Kevin Barnes, Kelli Gasser, Christian Barnes, Shalise Barnes and Sean Barnes.