John MacFarland Barnhardt, Jr. (Jack), 60, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on April 17, 2021, in Amarillo, TX.
Born December 6, 1960 in Chapel Hill, NC, and raised in Concord, Jack left NC for Los Angeles, CA in 1985 to embark on a 35-year career in commercial art and advertising that took him all over the US. Over the years, Jack worked free-lance and held corporate positions in Los Angeles, Bakersfield, CA, Atlanta, GA, Las Vegas, NV, Saluda, NC, Tucson, AZ, and most recently, Austin, TX. Jack devoted his life to the pursuit of art, style, music, and new experiences, testing society’s boundaries every step of the way. He also shared his family’s love for Tarheel basketball, and March Madness was a uniting theme for the family over the years and miles. The free-spirited nature of Jack’s youth never left him, and he jumped at any opportunity to attend a concert or take a road trip, even in the face of the cancer that would ultimately claim his life. Jack’s storied exploits are legendary, and most who knew him have a memory of getting caught up in – or helping Jack out of – a precarious situation brought about by his quests. But Jack made far more friends than foes during his life, and his passing leaves a profound void in the lives of all who loved him as a father, son, brother, uncle, husband, or friend. As Jack would say, “Later, Dude.” And we take comfort in knowing that if there’s a rock-n-roll heaven, Jack’s surely met the band.
Jack was preceded in death by his father, John MacFarland Barnhardt of Concord, NC.
Jack is survived by his mother, Jane Melvin (John) of Pawleys Island, SC, daughter, Brittany McIlwaine (Charlie) of New London, NC, grandsons Elon McIlwaine and Ellis McIlwaine, sister, Della Ellis (Chip) of Tucson, AZ, nephew Reed Ellis, and niece Jane Ellis.
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