Frank S. Barnes Jr. , the man who helped turn a small-town telephone service into a comprehensive communications company, was celebrated Wednesday as a man of faith, service and purpose at his funeral.

Barnes died Sunday at the age of 91. He was the chairman of the board and chief executive officer for Comporium Communications, which provides phone, Internet and security services in the region.

The funeral was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill where Barnes was a founding elder, generous donor and a spiritual leader, said the Rev. Shelton P. Sanford III.

"He loved his Lord and a had rich personal faith," Sanford said.

The two had a close relationship, with Barnes calling Sanford several times a week to talk about family, church and the nation.

"He never hung up the phone without saying, 'I love you,'" Sanford said.

The sanctuary at Westminster Presbyterian was filled with family, friends and community and business leaders. He was, several said, one of the people who loved Rock Hill and moved the community forward.

In tribute to their boss, Comporium employees lined portions of the funeral procession with the utility's trucks and unfurled a big American flag.

Barnes was a World War II veteran who served in the Pacific theater.

He was also a member of the South Carolina Telephone Hall of Fame, the National Pioneers Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Palmetto and Clemson medallion, Shriner and Mason and founder of the Catawba Academy.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary Anne Graves Barnes, and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.