Barnett, who founded a plastics company, held 82 patents and supported Jewish causes like TCU’s Hillel Society, died Nov. 15, 2020, one week shy of his birthday.

“He was loving, family first, grateful for what he achieved,” said daughter Laurie Barnett Werner ’74 MBA. He gave the commencement speech the evening that she graduated and that he received his honorary doctorate from TCU.

Born to working-class parents in Massachusetts, he took chemistry courses as he could afford them and graduated from Northeastern University. He met Madlyn Brachman through a cousin, married her in 1946 and moved to Fort Worth, her hometown.

In 1948, they founded LOMA Plastics (LO for Lou and MA for Madlyn), which they sold in 1966 to Standard Oil of Ohio. He formed an investment firm, served on the boards of banks and other companies, and became a TCU trustee in 1975. He also helped start factories and established manufacturing standards in Israel, Werner said.

“Louis was extremely generous,” said Arnold Gachman ’64, a family friend who is on the National Campaign Committee for Lead On: A Campaign for TCU. Among several contributions to TCU, Barnett and his wife established the Louis H. and Madlyn B. Barnett Fellowship to benefit graduate students majoring in science disciplines and funded the Louis and Madlyn Barnett Visiting International Scholars Program in Jewish Literature and Thought. Barnett was also a guiding hand in the TCU Hillel Society.

But he was no pushover, Gachman said. “He didn’t put a lot of peanut butter on stuff — he called it like he saw it.”

That trait served him well as an American Kennel Club obedience judge, Werner said. The family also owned AKC show dogs.

He especially enjoyed fine food, cognac, wine — and TCU football.

Survivors also include daughter Rhoda Bernstein ’79 MEd.