| Erle Neff Barnett Jr. 74, died Feb. 18, 2008, in Sacramento after a long battle with cancer. Erle was born Oct. 9, 1933, in San Francisco to Erle Sr. and Verda Barnett. Soon thereafter, the family moved to San Carlos. Erle attended Central Elementary School in San Carlos and in 1951 graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City, where he was captain of the track team. He married his elementary school sweetheart, Carol Vargas, in 1953, and was drafted into the Army a week later, serving two years as an instructor at Fort Ord. Upon returning to San Carlos, the Barnetts began their family; over the years, Carol alternately worked at the Bank of America and raised kids, while Erle pursued careers in construction (Oddstad Homes), banking (Bank of America and California Canadian Bank) and sales (Remington Rand, Osborne Kemper Thomas, Farmer's Insurance, Regal Beverages, Van Auben Group), finally settling on self-employment. The Barnetts moved to Sacramento in 1986, where Erle continued selling specialty items through his company, NeffCo, until he retired in 1996. Erle was ardently patriotic, a devoted fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Sacramento Kings and a lover of history. Throughout his life he enjoyed bowling, collecting stamps and coins, and pulling the slot machines in Lake Tahoe. In retirement, he spent his time reading, walking the American River, gold panning and enthusiastically tracing his ancestry. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol; son Michael Barnett of Vacaville, daughters Suzanne Soteriou of San Carlos and Kelly Christoffersen of Sacramento and their respective spouses; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; sister Ruth Renard of Rohnert Park; brother Alan Barnett of Alameda; and lots and lots of cousins. A mass and remembrance will be held Thursday, Feb. 28 at 11 a.m. at St. Charles Catholic Church in San Carlos, 880 Tamarack Ave. The family would like to thank Gramercy Court care facility in Sacramento for their support and kindness. |
