Bernette Isabelle Barksdale

Bernette Isabelle Barksdale, known to those closest to her as “Boots", was born on January 1, 1942, in Alexandria, Virginia, and went home to the Lord in Austin, Texas on May 14, 2025. Bernette was a born leader with an eye for detail and a gift for making order out of chaos. She shaped everything she touched—from federal policy to holiday dinners—into something worthy of pride.

Her life began in Alexandria, Virginia, where she met and married her lifetime love, Eugene Barksdale, in 1962. They had a son, Avery, in 1964. Through Eugene’s service in the United States Air Force, they began their lifelong adventures in Charleston, South Carolina, and later lived in Aviano, Italy, and San Antonio, Texas. After Avery graduated high school in 1982 and moved to Austin, Texas, Bernette and Eugene ultimately settled in Temple, Texas.

Along the way, Bernette built community through her church, neighborhood, and an extended network of chosen family. Throughout her life, Bernette cultivated a wide network of lifelong and beloved friends, all a reflection of the generosity and wide embrace that defined her spirit. She was a natural host with a genius for gathering people. Bernette made moments memorable and traditions durable.

Bernette began her professional life as a secretary with the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C. Her career eventually led her to become a regional director, leading the Equal Employment Opportunity function at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Temple. Her ascent wasn’t the exception—it was Bernette’s way. She drove change through discipline, clarity, quiet authority, and compassion. She spent her career as a dedicated public servant and retired in 2000 to care for her husband, Eugene. Together, they traveled and cruised the world until his passing in 2006.

She earned a mid-career bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Texas A&M – Central Texas, not for applause, but because she set high standards and met them, while raising a family and growing a career.

Her faith was the foundation of her life. Bernette came to Christ as a young girl at St. John Baptist Church in Alexandria, Virginia, and held fast to that relationship in every season. She built her most recent church home at Corinth Baptist Church under Pastor Dr. U.C. Barnes, where she served with diligence and devotion as Trustee, Finance Secretary, Women’s Activities Director, Retreat Team Director, and Building Fund Governor. She also contributed to the Constitution, Bereavement, Finance, and Publicity Committees. Her faith didn’t just guide her; it governed her.

She brought that same devotion to her family. Bernette was the matriarch of a close-knit, accomplished, and joyful family. She was endlessly proud of her son, Avery, and his wife, Tamala. She cherished her granddaughter Faith, a brilliant young attorney whose name reflected the deep spiritual line running through Bernette’s life. Faith was her joy, her motivation, her marvel. Their bond was unmistakable, sealed by Faith’s fierce love for “Grammy B.”

Bernette also poured her love and presence into her nieces— Cassandra Tate (Niecey), Roberta Speight, and Heather Poindexter—and into the extended family and chosen kin who saw her as both guide and anchor. She was a keeper of family history (she was an accomplished amateur geneologist), an enthusiastic traveler, a master of holiday meals, and a walking archive of deeply rooted values passed from generation to generation.

Eugene, Bernette, and Avery were the Three Musketeers. Their family road trips across Europe and the U.S. were family legends, with her famous ‘road trip picnic’ baskets making appearances from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to The Great Smokey Mountains to Disney World. When it was Bernette and Avery, they were the Dynamic Duo. They shared long drives, sharp commentary, great laughs, and side-by-side critiques of Family Feud and Dallas with the precision of cultural scholars. Bernette brought brilliance and humor to the everyday.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 44 years, Eugene Barksdale; her mother, Isabelle Poindexter; her father, Robert Poindexter; and her brother, Harry Poindexter.

She is survived by her son, Avery (Tamala); her granddaughter, Faith; and her nieces, Niecey, Roberta, and Heather. She leaves a legacy of love, caring, duty, and an unshakable presence.

Love the Lord, live with purpose, lead with grace, and leave nothing undone.