By Janet Perez
Mail | Twitter: @AzNewsmedia

The family of Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney, who died June 22, will be livestreaming his funeral services. Barney, 74, died after battling a lung infection for several months.

Viewing and funeral services for Barney will be held at the LDS Stake Center, 22035 E. Ocotillo Road. The viewing takes place Friday, July 8, from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 9, starting at 10 a.m. 

The viewing and funeral will be open to the public, said Constance Halonen-Wilson, communications and marketing manager for the town.

In addition, the Barney family has set up a YouTube channel to stream the services.

Barney was ending his tenure as mayor as he did not choose to run for another term.

Barney was nearly a life-long resident of Queen Creek, moving from Safford when he was just six months old in 1948. Barney spent 20 years on the town council where he played a significant role in the development of the town.

As council member and mayor, Barney helped achieve the opening Ellsworth Loop, starting a fire department and providing municipal water services. During his tenure as mayor, Barney presided over the town becoming the first municipality with a full funded pension system. He also helped to launch of the Queen Creek Police Department.

"He presided over some diverse and sometime contentious councils and issues,” said Mark Schnepf, owner Schnepf Farms, as well as a former Queen Creek mayor. “He did that with fairness and consistency.”

Vice Mayor Jeff Brown, who has been presiding over town council meetings while Barney was ill, said the late mayor had a wealth of knowledge about Queen Creek and its history.

“I am truly devastated by this loss not just for me personally but for the entire community of Queen Creek,” Smith said.

Barney was ending his tenure as mayor as he did not choose to run for another term.

Barney is survived by his wife, Pam, three children, 16 grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Under the town code and policies and procedures, Brown will continue to perform the duties as mayor. Current Council Member Julia Wheatley is running unopposed for mayor.

Janet Perez
News Editor | Queen Creek & San Tan Valley
@AzNewsmedia

jperez@iniusa.org

Meet Janet
Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State  University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.

Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.

Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science. 

Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.  

Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.