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Norman Barnett – 1919-2010

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Sonoma Valley Sun


Norman Barnett, aged 91, son of William and Hannah Barnett, passed away quietly on the morning of October 30, 2010 at the home of his son and daughter-in-law in Sonoma after a brief illness. Norman was born in New York City and spent his childhood in Brooklyn, NY. He attended James Madison High School and graduated from New York University. After graduation, he entered the United States Army where he attained the rank of Captain and served until the end of World War II.

Norman then joined the freight forwarding and customs brokerage firm Barnett International, operated and owned by his father, William Barnett. He later became President of the company, and remained so until it was sold in 1968. With his brother Alan, he then went on to form ANBAR International, a warehousing and distribution facility located in Holland that managed goods provided by American companies to markets in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Retiring after ten years and having sold ANBAR International to its employees, Norman returned to New York full-time and subsequently married Judith Lang in 1980, when he was seventy years old. They remained married until her untimely death in November, 2009. Shortly thereafter, Norman moved to Sonoma to be near his son, Larry Barnett and his family.

Norman was full of life, energetic and a great sentimentalist. He wrote his memoirs and several additional books of fiction. A wonderful story-teller and naturally charismatic, he enriched the lives of many people with his wit and repartee. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law Alan and Paula Barnett of Chevy Chase, MD; his sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Norma Barnett of Sonoma, CA and Jeffrey and Dorian Barnett of West Hartford, CT; his daughter and son-in-law Regina Barnett and Mark Gordon of New York City, NY, his four grandchildren Zoe Sinha, Max Gordon, Deirdre Campbell and Sara Barnett; his great-granddaughter Isabelle Hannah Sinha, and his great-grandson Warren Woerner, who was born less than 24 hours after Norman’s passing.

Donations are asked to be made to Hospice by the Bay, which helped provide tender and compassionate care during the last week of Norman’s life.




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