Words like unique and eccentric do not begin to convey the essence of Arthur, a person who was simply one of a kind, who passed on to the great unknown on his own terms at the age of 91, on a beautiful sunny afternoon in his home in Isla Vista. Arthur was a fiercely intentional man of informed opinion, and while he was spare with words, the ones he did utter carried weight. He embraced strong feelings toward justice, his actions were quiet, and the impact followed. We will miss his presence most — the one-liners, the inside jokes, the humor that arrived without warning. And in equal measure, his serious, unwavering dedication to social advocacy, to helping those who needed it. He moved between both worlds without contradiction, because for Arthur Edward Kennedy, they were never separate.
For a man of few words, he never failed to get his point across. In fact, he loved to make up new nonsensical words and sure made a lot of silly noises. His wacky, humorous outgoing answering machine messages were priceless. He loved babies and children and could meet them where they were with giggles, hugs, and smiles. Speaking of hugs, he was a connoisseur of the real thing and offered unsolicited advice on whether one’s attempt passed muster.
As an individual, Arthur was honest, highly intelligent, and socially conscious. His actions were thoughtful, intentional, and continue to have long-term impact in the community. Upon Arthur’s passing, members of the Isla Vista Community Services District (IVCSD) board moved quickly to draft and agendize a resolution honoring Arthur (see it at tinyurl.com/AKResolution). It includes the following line: “Arthur Kennedy was known for his quiet ways, with his deadpan expression and expressive eyes speaking volumes about his opinion on any variety of subjects.” The fast action of the IVCSD board speaks volumes about Arthur’s stature among leaders in his beloved Isla Vista.
He helped start multiple institutions in a community reeling from the upheaval of the late 1960’s Vietnam War, in the aftermath of the infamous 1970 Bank of America bank burning, including the Isla Vista Food Co-op, I.V. Youth Projects, I.V. Recreation and Park District, and the I.V. Community Development Corporation. He was indispensable to the functioning of the Food Co-op and the Youth Projects, adding critical capacity that helped these grassroots, people-powered, community-serving organizations to grow and thrive. Arthur was a one-man community-focused wonder, and his involvement over the five decades he lived in Isla Vista leaves a notable impact.
His kind and generous heart was demonstrated not only through assisting local organizations, but in the many ways he helped his community. He shared his home with longtime community leaders, families, and friends. He provided water to a Hmong immigrant mother in the community garden next door to prevent her vegetables from dying when the water had been shut off. As the story goes, her son eventually grew up to become a doctor. Arthur gave selflessly to the needs of others, solving problems, sharing tools, fixing what was broken with his infinite DIY “Mr. Fix It” skill set. He was the Lady Gaucho Basketball team’s number one booster for more than 30 years and rallied for the establishment of season tickets specifically for the women’s basketball team.
Arthur loved Mother Earth and was a consummate gardener and environmentalist. He was an early adopter of reusing grey water on his orchard and grew delicious mandarins, apples, blackberries, avocados, apricots, and pears. His garden varied from year to year depending on the whims of his dark green thumbs, but always seemed to include plenty of garlic, his favorite food next to sushi, sake, IPA, and coffee ice cream. He was a natural health nut ahead of his time, avoiding major surgery his whole life, believing his health was up to him to maintain. His fridge was full of interesting and exotic organic foods, and he was eating garlic and juicing apples to the very end.
Arthur was born in Detroit on January 3, 1935. Because his mother was a devout Catholic, he attended St. Ambrose School and later University of Detroit Jesuit High School. There, he earned a scholarship to USC and landed in Southern California as a young man. His time at USC was transformative, both intellectually and personally, and in 1956, he graduated with a degree in philosophy — a field that reflected his thoughtful nature and keen interest in life’s deeper questions.
In 1959, he and his first wife, Patricia, welcomed their son, Paul. In time, he later married Robin, and in 1967, they welcomed their daughter, Kalai.
In 1968, he earned a certificate of completion from the Metrolonics Institute of Metrology, which provided him a career path with Mobilescope, Inc. as its area manager for Santa Barbara. Then, he and two friends branched out on their own and started Scope*Tek, a true “mobile” electronics service company. Arthur towed his little white trailer around Goleta, calibrating oscilloscopes and other electronics for the growing aerospace and defense tech industry companies like Applied Magnetics, Joslyn Electronics, Raytheon, and others.
However, it was music, specifically jazz, that was Arthur’s first love, and he grew up listening to the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Charlie Mingus, and Max Roach. He was an accomplished musician himself, playing the upright bass, guitar, sax, and piano among a myriad of other instruments — if it made sound, he could figure out how to play it. In the early 1970s, he was in several bands around town, most notably Tom Foolery, with regular gigs at Borsodi’s Coffeehouse in Isla Vista and the Bluebird Café in downtown Santa Barbara.
Basketball was his other favorite passion, and there were many years of playing hoops out at Rob Gym, or behind his house, whether a quick pickup with strangers or on a team of regulars.
Upon the arrival of his grandsons Justin (2004) and Nathan (2006), he devoted himself to being involved in their daily lives and attended nearly every event they participated in. There was everything from musicals, presentations, graduations, and sports. For two decades, they shared a close and enduring bond built on everyday moments that have become cherished memories. From rides to and from school, family meals at home, all the birthdays, sushi outings, bowling parties, parades, BBQs, and burritos to go, Pops was always there. He wasn’t just present — he was a beloved and steady fixture in their daily lives, offering love, support, and companionship in ways both big and small.
We lost Arthur on January 24, 2026, and he is survived by his two children, Paul (Dr. Valerie King) of Portland, OR; and Kalai (Scott Suttner) along with his beloved grandsons, Justin and Nathan, of Santa Barbara; his brother Patrick (Patricia) of San Antonio, TX; and his sister Jeanette (Dr. Steven Alexander) of Palo Alto, CA.
There are also countless dear friends, extended family, co-workers, and neighbors, along with the entire community of Isla Vista that will greatly miss him. His quiet strength and great big love of giggles and hugs will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.
In the spirit of sharing with his community, his family, and friends he loved so much, we would love to build a “Gang of Art” with your own stories, memories, photos and all the Arthurisms you can muster — please visit Arthur’s Kudoboard at tinyurl.com/ArthursKudoboard.
A Community Celebration of Arthur’s Life will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, 2-5 p.m., at Anisq’Oyo Park in Isla Vista. For more information, contact kalai@me.com.
