Barnes made Club members, colleagues smile

Donahue Barnes often made other people smile because of his joyful outlook each day. He had an infectious laugh and a ready grin.

That is why he’ll be missed around the National Press Club, where he served on the staff as a houseman. He died in mid-December at 68. More than a dozen of his Club colleagues attended his funeral service.

Donnie, as he was known, set up the rooms that the Club uses as stage sets for events. He moved tall stacks of chairs and rolled circular tables and built risers. He smoothed linens and set skirting and hung banners. He brought considerable enthusiasm and panache to each job.

He worked fast and he would often sing while he worked. If you praised his singing he would say of his late wife “you should have heard my Patsy sing. She could sing like a bird it was so beautiful.” About the only time anyone can recall Donahue being sad was in the year or so after Patsy passed.

His favorite job at the Club was running the big buffer machine on the marble floor. He liked to point out the effect of his work to anyone nearby. “See how that shines? I love the way that looks,” he would say. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”

He also helped with set up for events in the Reliable Source.

“He jokingly used to say that he wanted to ‘make things look as good as your suits,’” said Reliable Source general manager Mesfin Mekonen.

A staffer since 2008, Donnie liked to work near the front of the Club so he could see who was coming and going. He had an eye for the famous and infamous thanks to working previously at the Jefferson Hotel on 16th Street, which was frequented by famous athletes, coaches and politicians.

Donnie also made his presence felt at all-hands staff meetings, where he would sit in the front row and pay close attention as we buzzed through spreadsheets and projections. He always had something to say that was positive and forward looking. 

We held on to Donnie as long as we could during Covid. But eventually there were rules of seniority and he was furloughed along with many others on staff. He took it well, but I hated the day I had to tell him.

Furlough was not good for him. He needed human interaction. We called him back to work a few times but he did not seem the same.

Facing health challenges, he eventually retired before the business came back.

In the picture that accompanies this story Donnie is in the Club ballroom being honored as employee of the month. His reaction is priceless and pure Donahue. He had this wonderful enthusiasm for any kind of victory. He would beam on the mornings following wins by his beloved Dallas Cowboys – especially if they beat the then-Redskins.