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In memory of

Kenneth John Barbieri

Novato, CA, USA
June 11, 1936 - March 30, 2020
Jun 11, 1936 - Mar 30, 2020
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Well, I have waited awhile to post this, because there is SO much to say about Ken, where do I begin and how do I end, there is no way to say goodbye to such an inspiration to me, as I write this the tears keep falling, Dear Ken, I met you when I was 9 years old, today I am 54.....my brother Tony was involved at Riordan in your productions and on Saturdays he would take me with him to crew days where the cast and crew would work on the tech parts of the show, well that first day was the start of a friendship that would last for 45 years and change a life.....mine....forever. Mr B as most of us knew him, took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew about theatre, he introduced me to Oscar who taught me stage carpentry and shaped me into the set designer and builder I am today. I was Oscars carpenter for many years and when Oscar moved on to other paths in his life Ken started giving me his designs to build. He taught me EVERYTHING about theatre. When I graduated high school Ken and I went on to work at other theatres and schools as a team and we served on the board of directors for Pacifica Spindrift Players for several years he as Treasurer and I as Master Carpenter then on to Vice President. When I directed my first show, Youre A Good Man Charlie Brown, Ken was my Snoopy.....the man who taught me how to direct was now my actor......we shared the stage in Dracula he as Van Helsing and I as Renfield.....we shared the stage in Pirates of Penzance he as the Major General and I as the Sergeant of Police, we shared the stage in Annie he as Rooster and I as Daddy Warbucks and he and I created over 250 sets together in the years we worked together. I experienced Star Wars 1 ,2, and 3 with Ken .....he took me to all of the movies when I was younger....He went to all my family events my graduation and my first wedding and my son Anthony was able to spend 5 years with him as a baby and Toddler running around a set as we built and painted it. In 2003 I left California and moved to Kentucky and Kent and I kept in touch as I worked and designed and built my own sets and performed....I usually called him on Opening nights and if not he was always on my mind when I performed or when I finished a set. On June 11th every year I tried to call him on his birthday a date I will always remember and talk to him. I returned to California in 2016 and finally had a chance to visit with him this last February, and I thank my brother Tony for that....I was worried about seeing him in his final stages of Parkinson but I am so grateful to my brother for bringing myself and Oscar to see Ken.....we didn't miss a beat he was Ken and his humor and his personality still was as clever and sharp as he always was, it was a great visit and I am so grateful to have spent that time with him. I want to say a big word of thanks to Eric for taking care of Ken and being there for him all these years, Ken loved you and you are an amazing man and I hope your life is long an wonderful as Ken would want it to be....Thank you Eric!
To say that Ken Barbieri shaped my life and made me the man I am today would be an understatement....He did much more than that, he gave me a life I will cherish till my last day and he gave me so much love and guidance.....there will never be a stage that will be big enough for Ken Barbieri and there will never be a light bright enough to shine like Ken Barbieri or a costume more beautiful to look at like Ken Barbieri. Because of Ken, I am typing this sitting at my desk as Sacred Heart Atherton CA , where I am the Technical Director of Performing Arts a dream job of mine because Ken instilled his love of theatre into me and never gave up on me...ever.
There is not one colleague or student here that has not or will not know Ken, because he will live on in me forever and I promise you Ken that I will give back to these kids what you gave me....
Thank you Ken for giving me "Many Beautiful Mornings" Thank you for giving me " The Sound of Music" and Thank you for allowing me to " Never Walk Alone" again. Whenever I find a safety pin on the floor it always ends up on me.....and whenever I turn off the stage lights I think of you. So Long, Farewell, until we meet again and most importantly THANK YOU !!!!
I love you Ken.........
Fred Eiras
Riordan High School Class of 84
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Thank you Mr. B for changing my life and so many others for the better. You taught us to believe in ourselves, our fellow cast mates and our production crews. We became families. Your productions were simply unsurpassed. As a teacher you brought your humor and creativity into the classroom. History was actually fun. You were so committed to your students and Archbishop Riordan High School. We, the students and the whole school community will be forever indebted to you. You made all of us better people and the world a better place because of you. All of heaven’s theatrical productions just got better because you are there. God bless you forever Mr. B.
Bill Madden Class of 1969
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Mr. B was such a great part of my teenage years thru my twenties - I was blessed to be a part of the Riordan drama community and then some of the other productions after high school. He was a tough cookie, but had a heart of gold. His sly smile of approval always made me shine from within and I thank him for giving me the opportunity to make some life-long friends through the experience of theater. Some of my favorite memories are: When the tea house fell down on opening night of Tea House of the August Moon (well that never happened again!), when the carousel came to life in the opening scene of Carousel and when he sang "I am the very model" from the Pirates of Penzance. He made my life happier, and for that I am very grateful. Thank you Mr. B! God bless! Julie (Milestone) Murray
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Jane Hurlburt
April 13, 2020, 8:05 p.m. PDT
1992, Vallemar Station, Coast Hwy, Pacifica, CA, USA
My husband Dave and I would meet Ken, Ellen and sometimes, our son Daniel, Eric, Ellen's sister Joan at the Vallamar Station for Monday Night spaghetti ($2.99 a plate?). The bartenders knew to make our much needed margaritas as we burst through the door. The recap of previous weeks' events and political discourse as told by Ken with his dry wit was and will always be a loving memory of good times past.
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Dear Mr. Barbieri, Thank you for your exceptional direction and sets, lighting, costumes, orchestra and motivation That made a bunch of clumsy high school kids look like professionals. Sending you love and gratitude and condolences to your many remaining friends and family. You are truly the most unforgettable character I ever met in my life.
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He LOVED being a grandpa!
2010
He LOVED being a grandpa!
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Ken was so good, I loved sewing costumes for his plays. I learned a
lot about how to work with a talented wonderful person.
Mary Barre-Van Buren
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Mr. Barbieri, Mr "B", Ken. He was known by many names but he was always the same guy, the Best Teacher I had at Riordan. I was amazing how he encouraged young people to believe in themselves enough to become a character who could talk in an accent or sing and dance on stage in front of hundreds of people. The time I spent in the Drama from '65 thru '68 was is my greatest memory of highschool. Grazie Ken. Ciao il mio amicone. Gary Silvestri, Class of '68
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Phill Guillory, class of '69: I wish to convey my heartfelt condolences to persons surviving Mr. Barbieri. I say 'Mr. Barbieri' as that was his moniker when he taught me the subject of history while I attended Riordan High School. He was one of just a few teachers that we all looked forward to his class. He was witty, engaging, humorous, and made the learning experience actually fun. I would have learned more during my four years in high school had my instructors possessed the talents and dignity that was present and obvious in the mannerisms of Mr. Barbieri. May he rest in peace.
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Gosh. Remember him so much as both drama coach and teacher. He was also an inspiration to me. Confidence. A sense of belonging. Acceptance. I was on his stage crew and drama production in high school. On stage crew, it was different from today, as he would hand us a sketch of what the scenery should look like, then let us take our own initiative to get the job done with minimum construction detail, which required our own creativity and incentive. Cracking us up with his wit. Throwing chairs during rehearsal. Screaming at us when frustrated. Final night of the performance in my senior year, he gave me recognition in front of the cast and crew. Opening night, he inspired confidence in all of us. He was the best and demanded the best.
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Some of the Stage Crew for
1972, Archbishop Riordan High Schoo, Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA, USA
Some of the Stage Crew for "Mame"
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My Condolences to the family. In my heart and mind he will always be family to me.
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Oscar Naval
April 1, 2020, 11:02 a.m. PDT
1972, Archbishop Riordan High School, Frida Kahlo Way, San Francisco, CA, USA
Ken accepted me as a boy at a time when I needed a father. At the time I was too young to even be in high school but I had followed my older brother to "Stage Crew". I did not know what that was but there I found a home. He was "Mr. B" but in retrospect he was Dad. He accepted me for who I was. No judgements but taught me with his humor and that mischievous twinkle in his eye. One of my first memories of him was when I was painting the set and he was watching me. He came up and said, 'that's a wonderful straight line you painted but...' He never made me feel I was wrong or bad even though I knew he knew what an angry little s%!+ I was. He tolerated my outbursts and over heard him say to others, "That's just his way" and he'd make a joke. He teased me yes, as he did everyone, but in a way that made me feel accepted and loved. When I old enough to attend Riordan, I was part of every one of his shows. Later we formed "The Bread of Life" and "Christopher Guard" theatre and he went on to do many, many more productions. I am deeply saddened at his passing because I know he not only made the world laugh and sing, but in my heart, I know he gave me the life I've had and have.
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Oh Mr. B., I can’t tell you how grateful I am for having been a part of 3 of your productions at Riordan High School. You took a chance on me, inspired me, and literally changed my life. I am so grateful. I celebrate your life, and as I read these comments, I am clearly not alone. Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
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I’m so sorry to hear that Mr. Barbieri passed away! I was in one of his plays while at Riordan High School. His productions were high quality, but more importantly, he made the entire event fun, while calling out the best talent in all of us; he certainly called out the best in me and helped me to find confidence that has served me since. He was a gentleman and a memorable presence. Thank you Mr. Barbieri. May you Rest In Peace! Condolences to his family!
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I am very sorry to learn of Mr. B's passing. I was fortunate to have had him as a homeroom and History teacher at Riordan and always enjoyed his off-beat sense of humor. I also enjoyed being in his plays and musicals and these experiences had a beneficial impact on my life. He will be greatly missed!
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Bob Regalia
March 31, 2020, 12:26 p.m. PDT
2017, Archbishop Riordan High School, San Francisco, CA, USA
On May 31, 2017 Riordan was concluding a building improvement drive part of which was for the Riordan Theatre where 30 of Mr. B’s productions were held. Donations were collected of $100 from each and every production Mr. B put on. The following was sent with the donations:

While teaching History and English, Kenneth Barbieri spent countless hours designing and directing productions from the ground up for most of the sixties and a majority of the seventies at Riordan. While the productions enjoyed tremendous success, Mr. B’s real impact was on the thousands of Riordan students and an even greater number of girls from the various Catholic High Schools and even a few of the public schools in and around the City who were in those productions.

On behalf of Mr. B's casts, crews and orchestras our donation comes with a most sincere thank you for his positive influence on all of our lives! Among other things Mr. B taught all of us was how to unselfishly work together for a common goal - a valuable life lesson. THANKS, Mr. B!
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To the Barbieri family:
I wanted to let you know that Ken Barbieri is partly responsible for my being a writer. (I wrote him a note to this effect some years earlier.) He was my sophomore English teacher at Riordan High School in San Francisco, and once assigned us to write a short story--any subject. He was the kind of teacher who carefully read students' assignments, put copious notes, corrections, etc. on each paper. When I got that short story back (some goofy tale; forgetting what it was) I saw that he enjoyed it and said something like "Your writing reminds me of George Bernard Shaw." I didn't know who Shaw was at the time, but certainly found out, and that one comment by Ken ("Mr. Barbieri") made a profound difference in my future studies, my direction, and my life. My best wishes to all in the loss of this good, good man.
Gerald Fleming
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Previous contributions

$100.00
Fred Eiras
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
$50.00
Ellen Hantzsche
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
$50.00
Anonymous
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
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Previous contributions

$100.00
Fred Eiras
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
$50.00
Ellen Hantzsche
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
$50.00
Anonymous
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
See all contributionsRight arrow

Previous contributions

$100.00
Fred Eiras
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
$50.00
Ellen Hantzsche
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
$50.00
Anonymous
Gave to Saint Anthony Foundation in memory of Kenneth
See all contributionsRight arrow
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Kenneth Barbieri