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.