Donald V. "Don" Barnett

Donald V. Barnett passed away January 12th, 2026, at Pelican Pointe Health & Rehabilitation (Windsor, CO) after a brief battle with metastasized melanoma cancer. He was 83. Born on October 26th, 1942, in Hot Springs, SD, to parents Vern V. Barnett and Ruby B. (Dyer) Barnett, Don graduated from Rapid City High School (Rapid City, SD) in 1960. During his time in high school, Don became an Eagle Scout under the tutelage of his Scoutmaster father, and the experience cemented a lifelong bond. In 1964, Don earned his B.A. in Political Science from South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD); he subsequently completed two years of graduate study in Public Administration at the University of Nebraska (Lincoln).

In 1966, Don was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army’s Medical Services Corps, eventually rising to the rank of Captain and being awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Achievement. During his four-year service, he spent 16 months in Vietnam as Commander of a 280-man unit at the 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh Post, Saigon.

Soon after his return stateside and to civilian life, Don ran for Mayor of Rapid City in 1971. At only 29, he campaigned against serious odds on a platform of optimism and excitement. After he won and the hard work began, his personal life took a wonderful turn. According to Don, he “married his family on February 17th, 1972.” Marrying JoAnn Ferguson also meant becoming a father to her two elementary-aged daughters, D’Anna and Debra, and that was always the nature of their relationship…father, not stepfather. Meanwhile, just as Don and the city council began to gain momentum by renovating the tax code to fund a civic center and boost tourism, tragedy struck. In June of 1972, the Rapid City Flood (aka The Black Hills Flood) destroyed the city and killed 238 residents. In the face of devastation and heartbreak, Mayor Barnett led the city out of the mud and into a golden age of reconstruction, improvement, and prosperity. February of 1973, however, brought a new challenge: civil disobedience. “When the American Indian Movement came to town, Don had to mediate between the forces of revolution and those of reaction, preventing bloodshed on either side.” Don remembers this as the most agonizing month of his life.

When his time as Mayor came to a close in 1975, Don entered the burgeoning cable television arena and built a business that he would sell in the late-80’s. He then became Vice President and National Marketing Director for public golf courses around the country, culminating in 2005 in Denver, CO. Don was also a published author and accomplished public speaker. In 2011, Don was inducted to the South Dakota Hall of Fame, specifically for “four years of extraordinary service and leadership in a time of tumultuous events and momentous challenge.”

Don cherished time with family, was a voracious reader and prolific writer, and he also enjoyed golf; however, some of his greatest memories were forged with a fishing rod and a canoe, practicing the art to which his father had introduced him. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Vern V. Barnett and Ruby B. Dyer Barnett; his loving wife of 37 years, JoAnn Baumann Barnett, who passed in 2010; and his sisters, Jeannine Lester and Beverly Erck. He is survived by his daughters, D’Anna (Ferguson) Catterson (Ron) and Debra Ferguson; his sister-in-law, Louise Chaffee; many nieces and nephews; as well as his loving partner of the past nine years, Shirley Dunivant, and her family. Don was also a very proud grandfather to Jocelyn, Madeline, and Jared Catterson.

A Graveside service will take place on Friday, January 23rd, 2026 (11:00am) at Black Hills National Cemetery (20901 Pleasant Valley Drive, Sturgis, SD 57785). In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to either or both of the following organizations:

- Boy Scouts of America Black Hills Area Council

(144 North Street, Rapid City, SD 57701)

(605) 342-2824

(blackhillsbsa.org)

- Dignity Hospice of Colorado

(400 E. 84th Avenue, #202, Thornton, CO 80229)

(www.dignityco.com)

Heartfelt thanks to Don’s incredibly special care team with Dignity Hospice of Colorado and the phenomenal nurses at Pelican Pointe Health and Rehabilitation.

The family thanks you for your support during this difficult time. Don was a loving husband and proud father, an outstanding civil servant, a successful businessman, and a great friend to many. He will be dearly missed.