William Barklie Henry

Grandfather, father, husband, lover, musician, writer, seafarer, culinary artist, armchair shrink, practitioner of integrative medicine, teacher and skillful driver of cars, trucks, motorcycles and pretty much anything else on wheels. Barklie Henry, who was all these things and much more to his family and friends, died at his home in the hills of Big Sur, California, on October 29, three weeks shy of his 87th birthday. Barklie's full and varied life transitioned as he wanted: in his living room overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the presence of people he loved and surrounded by family.

Born and raised in New York with deep family roots on the East Coast, Barklie fell in love with Big Sur's rugged, unspoiled beauty. Once he made the transformational decision to move across the country, he never looked back. He lived briefly at Mill Creek on the south coast while studying at Esalen Institute, before buying a hilltop property near Pfeiffer State Beach. That became his home, his joy and the center of his life for the next four decades.

William Barklie Henry was born on Nov. 18, 1927, in New York City and raised on Long Island. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, where he played bass in a jazz band and began his lifelong passion for music. At Princeton University he majored in philosophy and minored in late-night visits to the top jazz clubs in New York City where he played with numerous jazz luminaries.

It's difficult to capture the range of Barklie's multi-dimensional interests, ventures and pastimes over the past eight decades. His resume, had he ever chosen to write one, would have included: professional race car driver in the late 1950s (Corvettes, Porsches, Maseratis and Aston-Martins were favorites on the circuit); CIA intelligence analyst during the early years of the Cold War; influential member of the board of the Whitney Museum of American Art; filmmaker; and business entrepreneur.

In the 1970s, as Barklie settled in Big Sur, he found the land and community a perfect fit for his Bohemian soul and his twin passions of healing arts and music. Barklie launched and played percussion in two World Beat bands based in Big Sur -- "Barefoot", which featured renowned violinist Steve Kindler, and "Dark Chocolate," an improvisational jazz-fusion ensemble. Their jam sessions and concerts drew loyal fans and ecstatic dancers and produced six CDs and popular success on the World Beat music charts.

Barklie's other great passion was boating. In the early 1960s, he took his wife and three young children on a yearlong journey around the Mediterranean, captaining the Explorer II on two trans-Atlantic passages with a crewmember. More than 40 years later he bought the Triton, an 88-foot wooden-hulled former Coast Guard expedition boat, and embarked on a series of excursions with family and friends to, among other spots, the San Juan Islands, western Mexico, Costa Rica, and through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean.

As Barklie embraced his later years, he courageously self-directed his healthcare when faced with significant medical challenges. He "walked his talk" and as a result was energetic, intellectually engaged, and passionate about world affairs, savoring a high quality of life through his last week.

Barklie was predeceased by his parents, William M. "Buzz" Henry and Barbara Headley, and his sister, Gertrude Conner. The center of the last part of Barklie's life was his large family, who brought him great joy, as he did them. He is survived by his daughter, Linda Barnwell; his five sons, Eric, Bill, Jason, Laurence and Jules Henry ranging in age from 60 to 30; seven grandchildren ranging in age from 2 to 29; and hundreds of loving friends in Big Sur, New York and throughout the United States and abroad.

Barklie leaves behind a legacy of great generosity in support of creative ventures, transformational education, and community. He will be dearly missed.

Contributions in his honor may be made to the Big Sur Volunteer Fire Brigade, PO Box 520, Big Sur, CA 93920.