Michael J. Barnes of Villas, New Jersey, passed away on December 24, 2022, after suffering several strokes. Mike was born in Herkimer, NY, on May 21, 1948. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio, with his family and started a band called The Tank. The four members of the band moved to the Mad River Valley in 1968 and played at The Blue Tooth on Sugarbush Access Road. He met Deb Day and they were married at Knoll Farm in 1970. Mike worked in Frank Day’s woodworking shop at Knoll Farm for several years and worked for Circus Studios in The Valley. He formed a partnership with Bill Slocum, designing and building cabinets throughout Central Vermont.
In 1983 Mike accepted a job as shop manager and educator with the School of Architecture at University of Maryland. Mike and Deb and their two children moved to Maryland in 1983.
Mike worked on summer houses with the grad students on Cape May, NJ, each spring. Mike bought a house in Villas where he lived until his passing last December.
Mike was also known in The Valley as the organizer of the Red Sled Races at Knoll Farm every winter. The races had started in 1972 with Alan Day on the “beefer” pasture. When Alan moved to Maine, Mike took over the management, setting the courses, was the official timer on the hill and master of ceremonies at the post-race awards event in theKnoll Farm kitchen.
Mike leaves his ex-wife, Deb Barnes of Gettysburg, PA, a son, Haven B. Barnes of Seattle, WA, Megan Day Leitz of Brisbane Australia, grandchildren Reece John and Jodi Ann Leitz, a brother, Larry in Kentucky and two sisters, Kate and Sheila in Florida.
