Obituary
Joan Marie Kelly Barnett

If it’s true that everyone leaves behind a legacy, then Joan Marie Kelly Barnett’s legacy is Love.  Born May 16, 1938, in Miller’s Crossing, Newfoundland, Canada, Joan passed away peacefully on February 6, 2025, in Cotopaxi, Colorado. In her final days, she was surrounded by loving family members and caregivers, all of whom adored her.
Joan’s deep faith was unshakeable, and her love of Jesus was always front and center. Her caring and caregiving nature meant she cherished people, especially those with special needs, whom she worked with for many years. Music
brought Joan great joy, and Leonard Cohen’s voice often filled her home. She saw the beauty in every-thing, particularly the
natural world, and she relished camping, hiking, and being outdoors. She could out-hike younger people well into her 70s and always enjoyed pointing out various plants and flowers like the lupines she loved.
Joan never met a stranger—only friends she hadn’t gotten to know yet. “Love,” “My Love,” and “Me Love” rolled off her tongue often and never failed to make the recipient feel like they were just a little bit extra special—even though everyone was special to her. She loved sharing stories about growing up in Newfoundland and her lifetime of travels around the globe, and she never failed to make people smile and laugh with her funny anecdotes and her charming “Newfie” accent. She was a wonderful cook and her fried bread was legendary.
Joan is survived by her devoted husband, David Barnett; her four sons: Rick, Ken, Glenn, and Paul Kreibich; her two sisters: Pauline (Kelly) Hines and Mary (Kelly) Rootes; two brothers, Emile
and Kevin Kelly; seven grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, as well as spouses and friends.
Joan was truly one of a kind—a bright light and a sweet and funny soul—and her absence is deeply felt. Rest in peace, Me Love.
A service will be held at 10 a.m on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at Our Lady of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Westcliffe, Colorado.