Bettina Barrett

Bettina Barrett, local artist and poet, died Sept 20, 2023 in Northern Ca, where she’d been living for the last 2 years.  Just 2 weeks before, she’d spent her 92 birthday with her 2 children Donna and Timothy. Bettina was born in Denmark to an American mother, and a Danish father who died during WW11. The family moved back to Pennsylvania where Bettina finished High School and went into Nursing. She married Rev. Denton D. Durland in 1954, and Donna was born in 1956. Tim was born and adopted in 1961. After the couple divorced in 1969, Bettina moved to San Francisco, where she married George W. Barrett. They moved to Santa Barbara in 1972, and Bettina began developing her painting and writing, taking classes at Adult Ed. She was a member of the Santa Barbara Art Association, and exhibited in many of their shows. She also took classes in ceramics and created many original hand-built works. A talented poet, she became a regular reader at local poetry readings and published several collections. An outdoor enthusiast, she hiked local trails, camped in the Sierras, and made many visits to a friend’s ranch in Montana. After George’s death in 2000, she began taking meditation retreats, and her daily practice helped her maintain balance and harmony. She also became involved with the Wilderness Youth Project and became one of their honorary Grandmothers, as well as supporting Quail Springs Learning Center in the high desert of the Cuyama Valley. She volunteered at the Museum of Natural History and helped with programs involving the Native American Community. At Casa de Maria she was involved with planning and participating in the annual Barrett Conferences for the Ministry of Women begun in memory of her late husband. Friends throughout these communities valued her open-minded curiosity and ability to listen and share deeply. She is survived by her daughter Donna Rudolph and husband Robert Pendleton, her son Timothy Durland, and her sisters Bodil Tvede and Susanne Tvede, and niece and nephew Kristina and Brian Jones. A commemoration of her life will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory can be made to the Environmental group of your choice.