Marion “Barney” Barnwell Memorial

Article from Mount Vernon Gazette written by Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck

Colonel Marion “Barney” Barnwell, a longtime resident and community activist in the Mount Vernon District, passed suddenly last week and will be missed by the many people that he connected with and whose lives he touched.

I was incredibly saddened to learn of Barney’s passing. Our community has lost a considerate, kind, and true gentleman. Barney was one of the best and finest among us, one that I am deeply honored to have known and had the pleasure to work with for many years. His long and deep history of community involvement, volunteering at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital, and served on the Fairfax County Human Services Council (to his last day) were well known, greatly valued, and appreciated by all of us.

Barney was a pillar in our community, volunteering at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital in the Joint Replacement Division, where he has also served as Past President of the Auxiliary Board and as Parliamentarian. For over thirty years, Barney volunteered with Rebuilding Together, formerly Christmas in April; and at Fort Belvoir’s Main Chapel, as a Sunday school teacher and usher. He also volunteered with the Capital Area Food Bank for over twenty years, and with New Hope Housing, where he served as a Board Member, Treasurer, and Trustee. Barney has continued to serve on the Fairfax County Human Services Council since 2003. He was a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. for over 60 years and was the Third District Representative (VA and DC Area) for four years.

Former Mount Vernon District Supervisor Gerry Hyland said: “What sad news — a more wonderful spirit would be hard to find. Such an unselfish person who showed his love for everyone in so many ways. Years ago, I appointed Colonel Barney to the Fairfax County Human Services Council where he served Mount Vernon conscientiously for many years. At Mount Vernon Hospital he was an extraordinary volunteer who always wore his heart on his sleeve and had a perpetual smile for every person he met. He was one of the gentlest and kindest persons I ever met. I will sorely miss him.”

In 2018, Barney was recognized as Lord Fairfax for his love of and dedication to our community. Barney had a “pay it forward” mentality every single day of his life. One example of this was the day he came into our office and said, “Every day I buy someone lunch, today it is your day,” smiling and handing one of our staffer's lunch money. Wherever Barney volunteered, he put people at ease with his familiar smile and kind face. His passion for helping others was unequivocal and inspiring. Barney’s beloved wife of many years, Jimmi, was a constant companion by his side, especially in later years.

Community leaders and selfless volunteers like Barney Barnwell are hard to come by and his passing has left an irreplaceable hole in our hearts and community. If you want to know more about Barney, see this 2018 Old Town Crier article highlighting his commitment to service and community: https://oldtowncrier.com/2017/11/01/barney-barnwell-is-passin-it-on/.

NAII Memorial Service 2021

FIRST VIRTUAL 3rd DISTRICT
MEMORIAL SERVICE

On March 12th, 2021, under the direction of our esteemed District Representative, Brother Conrado Morgan, the first ever Third District Virtual Memorial Service of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., was held. Approximately 386 Brothers, family members and friends participated in this virtual ceremony.

It was sponsored by the Northern Area II leadership council consisting of and under the guidance of Northern Area II Supervisor, Brother Earl Smith Jr., District Chaplain, Brother Pastor Courtenay Miller, and Northern Area II Chaplain and Automation Chairman, Brother Cornelius Beidleman.

The event was initiated and came to fruition through the efforts of the Northern Area II Chaplains and assistants, Brothers David Bonner, Tim Butler, Sanford Crenshaw, Eric Smith, Vince Smithers and Robert R. Smalls. Providing additional technical support with Automation was Brother Kevin Poplar. The event was hosted by the Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter of Fairfax, Va., Northern Area II, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. The ceremony provided the opportunity for all thirty-two chapters in the region to amalgamate and honor our Brothers who have transitioned to The Omega Chapter in the past year to date.

The event commenced at 6:45 p.m as all participants were able to access the link, which provided a musical interlude and pictorial images of our departed Brothers prior to the starting of the event. Promptly at 7:00 p.m., the welcome to all was extended by Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter Basileus, Willie J. “W.J.” Williams, Jr. The rejoinder to the welcome was graciously provided by District Representative Conrado B. Morgan, who recognized and acknowledged all dignitaries in attendance. His acknowledgment was followed by the opening prayer provided by Brother David Bonner( Sigma Mu Mu).

Inspiring renditions of the hymns “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “How Great Thou Art,” were performed by the exquisite second tenor voice of Brother Owen Nixon (Gamma Xi ). This was followed by biblical passages from Psalms 30, Romans 8:14-28, and Psalms 100 by Brothers Vince Smithers (Tau Rho) Brother Sanford Crenshaw (Omicron Kappa Kappa) and Brother Eric Smith (Psi Nu).

The introduction of our guest speaker, Brother Pastor Cozy Bailey, (Pi Iota 1988) was magnanimously provided by Brother Tim Butler (Pi Lambda Lambda). Brother Pastor Bailey spoke explicitly to the effectiveness of our organization to thrive during challenging times. The origin of our Memorial Service mandate and the honoring of others above ourselves, while referencing Romans 12:10 to solidify his point. Sacrifice, solemnity, and self-abnegation are all components of the fabric that are woven into the character of Omega men and paying homage to those who’ve come before us is the highest form of distinction and recognition.

Upon completion of his message Northern Area II Supervisor, Brother Earl Smith Jr. did the honor of presenting Brother Pastor Bailey with our token of appreciation for providing his services, as well as his inspirational delivery of the message. We were more than thankful for the participation of our Grand Basileus, Brother Dr. David Marion who provided us with words of inspiration and encouragement as a portion of his closing remarks.

As we prepared to initiate our service, District Chaplain Brother Pastor Courtenay Miller provided an invocation and call to worship prior to the Formal Memorial Service. Which was conducted by District Representative, Brother Conrado Morgan, District Keeper of Records and Seal, Brother Craig Spraggins and District Chaplain, Brother Courtenay Miller. As we honored nearly fifty Brothers for their distinguished contributions, bridge-building and friendship post their transition to The Omega Chapter. The service concluded with the playing of “Omega Dear” and a moment of reflection, as a simple image of soft clouds gave way to the memory of those gallant Brothers whose presence, in the physical life, has expired but whose legacy shall remain in the archives of Omega for an eternity.

A period for fellowship and reacquaintance was provided post the virtual event, with numerous mentions of well-deserved accolades bestowed upon those who labored for the success of the service. We thank all that attended as our success was contingent upon your participation, and pray that we gave due credence to our Brothers, who now reside in their eternal home, with the Supreme Basileus of the Universe.

For know that they have earned their wings.

Brother Robert R. Smalls,
Northern Area II Memorial
Service Committee Chairman
March 12th, 2021

MANUP Youth Leadership March 2021

 Youth Leadership Summit

During the month of March 2021, Psi Alpha Alpha | Fairfax Virginia – The MANUP Program executed on a 4-week virtual Youth Leadership Conference series that covered the topics of military readiness, financial strategies, pre-college initiatives, and teen mental health hygiene. The series titled “Under Construction,” exposed students to a comprehensive course series on strategies that will help them discover and build upon their current foundation.

The MANUP YLC partnered with Mount Vernon (MVHS) and John Lewis ( JLHS) high schools in Fairfax County Virginia to host and execute on offering the YLC workshop series to the combined school campuses with 80+ mentees. The YLC series was executed at MHVS from February thru March. The series starts in March and will conclude at JLHS on April 22, 2021.

The military readiness workshop was hosted by Bro. LTC Chester Kelly and Bro. Kenny Cain (Ret.) of the United States Army. They spoke in-depth about their personal military careers, inspiration, and the technical aspects on how to enlist into all branches of service out of high school.
The YLC series included a session on mental hygiene for young adults. This session was led by Bro. LTC Eric Kelly (Ret. USMC) and Bro. Cozy Bailey Jr. The workshop covered topics of bullying, recognizing signs of depression and anxiety, where to get help, who to communicate with, positive releases of stress, understanding the importance of good health, and creating/maintaining positive relationships and environments in your personal circle.

Two of the 4 session series included financial strategies and mental health awareness for teens. The financial strategies session was hosted by Bro. LTC Kevin Williams (Ret. USMC) and Bro. Michael Frazier. They discussed the importance of credit and personal credit scores, in addition, the workshop covered aspects of compound interest, interest rates, retirement strategies, depreciating vs appreciating assets, and the importance of paying your creditors on time. A good portion of the workshop was dedicated on how to establish good credit coming out of high school that included establishing banking accounts. The pre-college initiative workshop discussed SAT/ACT test-taking strategies, finding the right college, and evaluating if college is the right move for you out of high school.

  Mental Health

Fairfax County Virginia | Psi Alpha Alpha – The MANUP Mentoring Program for PsiAA concluded its four-week Youth Leadership Summit at Mount Vernon High School on March 22, 2021. The theme “Under Construction,” concluded with a workshop on teen mental health awareness. The event was hosted by Bro. Eric W. Kelly and Bro. Cozy Bailey Jr. The event covered aspects of normalizing professional therapy through trained and licensed professionals as well as knowing when to ask for help. Bro. Kelly’s takeaways for the 35 student participants from MVHS included asking for help, who to seek help from, and utilizing peer networking to promote a positive atmosphere.

Bro. Bailey Jr. shared important techniques on dealing with anxiety, processing negative feelings and emotions, and creating safe places to discuss feelings with proper and trusted persons. The Youth Summit for MVHS concluded with parting and encouraging words from PsiAA Leadership. Bro. W.J. Williams and Bro. Myron McDaniels gave praise to the MVHS student’s commitment in their attendance over the past four weeks during challenging times.
The MANUP Program is a proud sponsor of the MVHS Football Team. The program has provided pre-game meals for the 50+ youth on two separate occasions. The pre-game meals allowed students to fellowship and receive proper nutrients in preparation for their football games.

QUE-rantine 2021

Join us Saturday, April 17, 2021 for a special Virtual Social Event filled with games, prizes and music featuring DJ Rob Stacks!
Tickets/Vendor Booth: https://querantine2021.eventbrite.com
Sponsorship link: http://bit.ly/blbvse21

The 80’s QUE-rantine Extravaganza will be a highly attended event with patrons from all over the country, so this gives you an opportunity to purchase a vendor booth, display your products and services, expand your customer base, make a few sales, and foster new relationships/partnerships. An example of our vendor hall can be seen in the below links:

Exhibit Vendor Hall

Example: Ford Motor Company

STAY HOME!  Grab a glass of something delicious, and tune in at 6 pm to experience a virtual night that includes the following:

  • Music: Come Groove with DJ Rob Stacks (Main Room)
  • Casino Entertainment by: Showbiz Productions (Prizes included)
  • Cigar Lounge Experience (Cigar 101) by: Stanton Cigars and Petworth Cigars
  • Cooking Demonstration Experience by: our very own Chef LIVE
  • Zumba: Bring the heat and feel the burn with Brickhouse Fitness
  • 50/50 Raffle: Come party with us and win a monetary prize
  • Costume Contest: Enter our costume contest to win prizes.

Individual tickets are $20.00 and vendor Booths are $55.00. Purchase a booth and encourage other fellow business owners/partners to do the same. Vendor booth sales are available until April 10, 2021

We also offer sponsorship opportunities which are available at multiple levels ($40 - $350). Each tax-deductible sponsorship comes with features including free tickets, advertisement, and the opportunity to be placed on the Sponsorship Wall of Fame during the virtual social event.

For questions on tickets, vendor booths, or sponsorships, contact Hector Sheppard at sheppardhector1@gmail.com, 928-581-9532 or Brad Caldwell at bcaldwe6412@aol.com, (703)587-5052. Please pass this to potential patrons, vendors, and sponsors. Thank you for your willingness to be part of our effort to make a difference in the lives of college bound students.

Tickets/Vendor Booth: https://querantine2021.eventbrite.com

Sponsorship link: http://bit.ly/blbvse21

Facebook: https://fb.me/e/1xxK19ePh

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fairfaxcoques

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fairfaxcoques/

 

Sincerely,

Hector Sheppard, Jr

Chairman, Virtual Social Event

Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter

Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Marion “Barney” Barnwell

BROTHER MARION “BARNEY” BARNWELL | Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter Member | 18TH THIRD DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE “OMEGA CHAPTER”

Greetings,

The memorial service will be held virtually on Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 4pm

The Zoom information is below. You can also use the link in the attached flyer.
Topic: Virtual Omega Memorial Service for Bro. Barnwell
Time: Apr 10, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81857065988?pwd=aHhRK0xLMlo5NnJUNEx6QXdWeTVCZz09

Meeting ID: 818 5706 5988
Passcode: 086765
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,81857065988#,,,,*086765# US (Chicago)
+19294362866,,81857065988#,,,,*086765# US (New York)

Dial by your location
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+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 818 5706 5988
Passcode: 086765
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdbcZ0azPP

Greetings,

I hope this message finds you all well today. I wanted to provide the latest information on our dearly departed Brother, Bro. Marion L. “Barney” Barnwell. All details in regards to Bro. Barnwell’s arrangements are below. All Brothers are welcome to attend the Wake/Viewing and the Virtual Omega Service that will be held. The plan is for PsiAA to perform a Virtual Omega Memorial Service on Saturday, April 3rd and then have an in-person Omega Memorial Service in the future at his interment at Arlington National Cemetery as that can take some time to get a date for interment.

Wake/Viewing
Date: Friday, March 26, 2021
Time: 6pm – 8pm (family will be leaving at 7pm, but funeral home will continue to allow visitors)
Location: Greene Funeral Home, 814 Franklin Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Funeral
Date: Saturday, March 27, 2021
Time: 1pm
Attendance is limited because of COVID-19 restrictions. Invited guests have already been notified by the the family
The links to to use to stream the funeral service:
https://www.facebook.com/FortBelvoirRSO (Click on “Live” if you can’t find the video)

OR

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXCXr3FBTuSzK4rv0iV97xg

Virtual Omega Memorial Service
Date: Saturday, April 3, 2021
Time: TBD
Conducted by Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter

Family Request
For anyone who would like to give to the family: In lieu of flowers the family is requesting a donation be made to be made to the Jimmi and Barney Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
Send all donations to:

Jimmi and Barney Scholarship Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 90121
8588 Richmond Highway
Alexandria VA 22309

If you have any questions, please contact Psi Alpha Alpha Chaplain, Bro. Robert Smalls (psiaachaplain@gmail.com) or Psi Alpha Alpha Basileus, Bro. W.J. Williams, Jr. (psiaabasileus@gmail.com)

Fraternally,

W.J. Williams, Jr.
1-2001-XZ
Basileus, Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

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Brothers,

It is with deep sadness that I announce the passing of Brother Marion “Barney” Barnwell, 18th Third District Representative, Xi Psi Chapter, 1955, South Carolina State College.

We shall miss this pillar of strength who was a trend setter, pioneer of Psi Alpha Alpha, and devotee to the uplifting of each Brother and a true friend.

Please keep the family uplifted and in prayer and please hold all calls and communications to the family at this time as they have requested some privacy during this time and information will be provided when appropriate.

More information forthcoming

Fraternally,

Brother W.J. Williams, Jr.
Basileus, Psi Alpha Alpha Chapter
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.