Barney was covering political races when we met, as I was volunteering on a number of them shortly after I moved to Santa Barbara in the early 1970s. I am lucky enough to say that our friendship lasted until the end of his life.
Barney was good-natured, had a great sense of humor, and had an unparalleled zest for life. He was interested in everything. He was a damn fine writer, but very humble about his extraordinary talent. Selma Rubin, the celebrated environmental activist, thought him the best writer at the Santa Barbara News-Press back in the days when they submitted their articles via a vacuum tube.
These words only begin to describe the quintessential Barney Brantingham, Santa Barbara’s seriously famous newspaper reporter and columnist. He was born Barclay Brantingham, along with his twin brother, Bruce, in Chicago, Illinois, on February 26, 1932, to Carl and Frances Brantingham. Barney grew up on the south side of Chicago and worked as a reporter and editor at his high school newspaper. He later attended the University of Illinois, continuing his work as a reporter on the college newspaper. He graduated, however, with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Economics and Industrial Administration in 1954.
The U.S. Army came next for Barney, who found himself stationed in Panama after boot camp. He told many stories of the time he spent in Panama, which included meeting Angela Mendez, the woman who would become his wife. After his discharge from the Army, Barney and Angela returned to Chicago, where he worked for the Chicago Heights Star. Barney and Angela were soon married, and in 1959, their first child, Barclay, was born. Barney decided that he no longer wanted to stay in Chicago, so he and Angela set out for California with Barclay in tow. Barney had the large sum of $200 in his pocket.
The young family landed in San Clemente, where Barney began to work for the San Clemente Times. He found that the job contained more business management than reporting, so, in 1960, he uprooted his family again for a move to Santa Barbara and a new job as a reporter for the News-Press. He began as a cops and crime reporter, but soon moved on to the courts and City Hall. Barney’s easygoing manner and sharp nose for news served him well as he covered politicians, the police, and the public. His reporting and writing skills brought him an offer of a regular solo spot in 1977, when he became the renowned columnist of “Off the Beat.”
Ever true to his principles and despite the kid-glove treatment from management for the popular columnist, in 2006, Barney resigned from the News-Press, joining his colleagues then protesting the publisher’s heavy-handed tactics in the newsroom. He began to write a column called “On the Beat” for the Santa Barbara Independent until he retired in 2017.
Barney had a love affair with Santa Barbara, which he said he would never leave — and he never did. He even used to say, “You can’t even go out of town, or you’ll miss something.” His three other children, Frances (1960), Wendy (1961), and Kenneth (1962), were born here. He has three grandchildren (Natassia, Dani, and Joshua) and two great-grandchildren (Skylar and Scarlett).
Barney drove an unmistakable older white Valiant convertible in which he would haul hay for Wendy’s horse. One day, it rained unexpectedly when the roof was down, but it dried out fine. He wasn’t worried. Several sunny weeks, later, much to his surprise, his back seat began sprouting alfalfa! As our friendship grew, Barney and I, and several of our mutual friends took backpacking and cross-country ski trips. We’d often go car camping together.
One year, we were on our way to stay in a cabin in the national forest above San Diego. Barney was bound and determined to see the famous Black’s Beach. It was a hot day when we arrived, and I had a dog that I couldn’t leave in the car. Not five minutes after we arrived on the beach, we were asked to leave because dogs weren’t allowed on the beach. Barney quipped to me, “I guess it’s perfectly okay for people to sunbathe illegally on the beach, but not dogs.” He always laughed when we talked about that excursion.
In the early 2000s, Barney married Sue De Lapa, who had been the head librarian at the News-Press and became a photographer for Barney’s Indy column. At that time, I was living in the Santa Ynez Valley, raising a family, but my husband, Jeff, and I were at the wedding, at the Douglas Family Preserve, dressed in Hawaiian attire, as requested. Barney and Sue were two peas in a pod. They could often be seen drinking coffee and holding court at Vices & Spices. Sadly, Sue passed away in 2015.
When I moved back to Santa Barbara, our friendship rebooted as though I had never left, and we began to find many common activities. Barney loved to read, so we traded books constantly. During COVID, he even participated in one of my Zoom book group meetings when we read Toni Morrison’s Beloved. He kept saying, “Carla, I can’t finish this book,” but he did. He and I shared and discussed many books, but especially nonfiction history. Perhaps his favorite was David McCullough’s book The Path Between the Seas, chronicling the building of the Panama Canal. As a frequent guest at our Sunday night “family dinners,” Barney was usually the center of attention, regaling us all with a multitude of stories. He loved sports of all sorts, and so joined us regularly to watch the World Cup, especially when Panama was playing!
Barney was also an avid moviegoer. Week after week, I’d pick him up, and off we would go to the Riviera Theatre. He would always get a bag of popcorn. We’d go to the early show so we could pop over to Yellow Belly for dinner and discussion afterward. We were often accompanied by my husband, as well as a cadre of other friends. By then, Barney had become a Santa Barbara icon, recognized just about everywhere he went. When we walked into the theater, I had to quickly escort him to a seat because everyone wanted to have a chat. It is no wonder that the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is dedicating the upcoming French Wave Film Festival to him.
The dedication announcement said, “Barney was a passionate advocate for the arts and played a key role in the success of the French Wave, which began in 2014. He also was always among the first in line to see the films.”
When asked about his “Pa,” his son Barclay said, “He had wanderlust and a desire to explore and learn. He taught me to write, travel and how to savor good food and fine spirits.”
I couldn’t agree more.
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