Helen Pauline (Tritton) Barnes

Helen Pauline Tritton Barnes, 88, of Gainesville, passed away on January 13, 2019.  She was born in Charleston, West Virginia on February 22, 1930, to the late Charles and Pauline Tritton.  She graduated from Henry Grady High School in Atlanta in 1948 and earned her B.A. at Agnes Scott College in 1952 with a major in Psychology, minor in Education. 

She married William Franklin Barnes II (a Navy veteran and firefighter) in 1958. They had 2 children, Bill (Wm. F. III) and Paul, before her husband died in 1962. He had a heart attack just two weeks after her second child was born.  She never remarried and her second son, Paul, drowned in Lake Lanier in 1989. She taught school for 5 years, and worked at the federal building in downtown Atlanta.  After they moved to Gainesville in 1969, she worked as an aide at Gainesville College. Then she worked 30 years at J.C. Penney’s in Home Furnishings at Colonial Mall.  She was always a very thoughtful and caring person.  She loved shopping and going to Disney World, traveling with her family to the far west and then Maine, but the highlight of her life was a trip to Italy.  She was a longtime member of Gainesville First United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her son, Bill; her brother, Charles Tritton, and his wife, Maxine of Smyrna, GA; her sister, Charline Shanks, of Gainesville, GA, nieces and nephews: Dennis Shanks, Susan Shanks, Janice Kimler, Cheryl Clark, Wayne Shanks, Mike Tritton, Bob Tritton, Neal John White III, Barbara Frotscher, and Linda Robinson.  She was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her son, and her sister, Edith.

Visitation will be Wednesday January 16, from 2-4 p.m. at Little & Davenport Funeral Home.  Funeral Services will be held Thursday January 17, at 12:00 p.m. in the Funeral Home Chapel, Rev. Scott Hearn will officiate.  Graveside Service will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Salvation Army or Gainesville First United Methodist Church.

Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at littledavenport.com

Little & Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory of Gainesville is in charge of arrangements.

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