Henry Frank Barrentine

Henry Frank “Hank” Barrentine, Jr. peacefully passed away at home on Thursday, September 27th, 2012, after an 18 month battle with brain cancer. Memorial Services will be held at 2 p.m. November 3rd, at the Bedias Fire Dept. Services are entrusted to Cozart Funeral Home of Normangee.

Hank was born July 24th, 1957, on Millington Naval Air Station, Memphis, Tennessee to Henry Frank and Lee Barrentine. He was raised in Southeast Arkansas and graduated from Elaine High School. He attended the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he met his future wife, Mary Celeste Brooks.

He joined the Air Force as a Communications Maintenance Officer in August of 1979 and served tours of duty in Warner Robbins, Georgia and in Sembach, Germany. After leaving the Air Force he joined the Air National Guard from which he retired in 2001, with 21 years of service. During that time he served in the First Gulf War and returned to Saudi Arabia for several tours of extended duty. He worked in the Brazos Valley for 20 years in Emergency Medical Services as an EMT-Paramedic. Husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, teacher, mentor, confidante….. Hank will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Celeste Barrentine of Brazos County, TX; 3 children, Cari Barrentine of Bryan, TX, Wilhelmina Barrentine of Huntsville, TX and Henry Barrentine III of Brazos County, TX; brother and sister-in-law, Blake and Anna Barrentine of Bryan, TX; nephew Blake Barrentine, Jr. of Bryan, TX, and nieces Martina Barrentine of Tuscany, Italy and Rose Barrentine of Bryan, TX.

“I mourned him also simply, without self-interest. Grieved for him as a man. In his own way he’d been a whole person, not needing what others might think he lacked. No one should impose their own perception of fulfillment on anyone else.” – Dick Francis

“And so it goes….” – Kurt Vonnegut

“The rest is left as an exercise for the student.” – Robert Heinlein

Donations in Hank’s name can be made to Hospice Brazos Valley or to Brazos County Volunteer Fire Department District #2,or to the Hank Barrentine Memorial Fund Account at any Prosperity Bank Location in lieu of flowers.