"I never missed the job at the time I quit because I was on the Bicentennial Commission--a local chapter that was founded to help stage the celebration of America's 200th year of independence--and working hard on lots of projects on my own," Barrett told the Willow Glen Resident in a 2003 interview.

Barrett died on Feb. 20. He was 94.

He graduated from Santa Clara High School in 1928 and three months later began working for the San Jose News, which later became the San Jose Mercury News, as a part-time correspondent before being promoted to city reporter; a job that paid him $12.50 a week. He spent nine years as city reporter, 16 years as city editor and 24 years as a columnist writing about politics, local history, people and events.

Barrett was born in Republic, Wash. in 1910. His father died when he was 14, prompting his mother to move him and his brother to the Santa Clara Valley. In 1951 Barrett moved to the Willow Glen home with Gertrude, his wife of 63 years.

His many interests included writing song lyrics, limericks and sonnets, traveling and watercolor painting.

In all, 127 of his verses were published in the Wall Street Journal, The Saturday Evening Post, The Christian Science Monitor and The National Enquirer. In 1956 he won a limerick contest and the prize was a 30-day trip to Europe for two.

Patricia Pfahnl, a neighbor who drove Barrett and his wife to church and ran errands for them after Barrett lost his driver's license a few years ago, said Barrett was a "very sharp and clever writer."

One of his songs, "The Spirit of '76", was set to music by Leonard Auletti and performed for the San Jose bicentennial celebration. In 1979 he was a finalist in the American Song Festival for his easy-listening tune called "Always Is a Long, Long Time."

A few years before he retired, Barrett started dabbling in painting, specifically watercolors. Barrett said that he enjoyed the challenge of solving design problems but he modestly described himself as "a painter, not an artist." He joined the Santa Clara Watercolor Society and helped start the Triton Museum of Art Watercolor Biennial Competition.

Once he retired, he attended various watercolor workshops around the world, including Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Jamaica, Tahiti and New Zealand. He stated that his goal was to have work that was good enough to enter in shows but he didn't have any interest in selling it. His dedication and hard work paid off. In 2002 and 2003, he won awards at the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society shows at the Triton Museum.

"He held an impressive niche in the art world of California and knew many well- known artists from having taken workshops and classes with them," said Jo Mary Keith, who first met Barrett in 1966 through the Santa Clara Watercolor Society.

At Barrett's Feb. 25 funeral mass, Monsignor Walsh of St. Christopher's Catholic Church in Willow Glen commented on Barrett's strong faith and his desire to live life to the fullest.

"Gertrude and Dick had a pact that whoever died first would be the winner," Walsh said, "because they knew death was not the end but a doorway to eternal life."

Barrett is survived by his wife, Gertrude, and his two daughters, Kathleen Barrett of Santa Fe, N.M. and Eileen Mitchell of Cupertino.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in his name to the California Watercolor Association, National Show Awards Chairman, Box 4631, Walnut Creek, 94596 for the Richard Barrett Award.