Greg Barnes, son of former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, dies at 66

Gregory Cameron Barnes, the son of former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, died on Tuesday in Dallas. He was 66.

Greg Barnes was one of two children of Ben Barnes, who was elected lieutenant governor in 1968, three years after he became the youngest speaker of the Texas House of Representatives at 26 years old. The Democrat served two terms in each of those roles.

Greg Barnes was born in Austin on May 3, 1958, to Ben Barnes and Martha Morgan Carmine.

Greg Barnes spent his childhood and early years in Austin before moving to Brownwood, northwest of Austin, where he graduated from Brownwood High School, according to his obituary. He earned a degree in finance from Texas Christian University and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After college, Greg settled in Dallas, where he met Cindy Kelly Barnes. They married and had two children.

Greg Barnes died of an unexpected heart failure, Ben Barnes said in an interview with the American-Statesman.

Greg Barnes was “tricycle age” when the elder Barnes became House speaker, Ben Barnes said, and “Greg’s probably the only young man in Texas in his preteens and teens that actually lived in the Capitol for eight years.”

Ben Barnes recalled his son “playing in the Capitol” while the elder Barnes balanced fatherhood and his role as a state lawmaker.

“I never knew when I was going to be surprised when the door of the Senate floor or the House floor would open and there would be Greg walking in,” Ben Barnes said.

Ben Barnes described his son as a lover of sports and the outdoors. Greg Barnes worked with charities in the Dallas area that served children who had suffered abuse or were in the juvenile justice system.

“He was a good son,” Ben Barnes said. “Greg was just a good person, and he loved life.”

Greg Barnes was predeceased by his mother. He is survived by his sons, Ben Barnes II and Kelly Barnes; his father, Ben Barnes, and his wife, Liz McDermott Barnes; and his sister, Amy Barnes Hazucha.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at Weed-Corley Funeral Home, 5416 Parkcrest Drive in Austin.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in the name of Greg Barnes may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486, or MDAnderson.org/Gifts. His mother and grandmother both had cancer, Ben Barnes said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Greg Barnes, son of former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, dies at 66