Briscoe Barton Baldwin

Briscoe Barton Baldwin passed away peacefully on December 23, 2013 at the age of 93 with his 3 children and his wife by his side in his home in Santa Barbara. He will be remembered for the love he had for his family, his polite nature, good moral ethics and a great sense of humor. Briscoe was born in Medfield, Massachusetts on October 25, 1920 to Robert Frederick and Isobel Armet Baldwin. He was the third of their four sons, who were the 9th generation of their family to be born in America. While Briscoe was a young boy his family lived for short periods in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Seattle, Los Angeles and New York before finally returning to settle in Los Angeles, where he graduated from Franklin High School. A childhood illness followed by a miraculous operation for its time left Briscoe with only one lung, and though he tried in vain to enlist, he was not accepted into military service during World War II. He worked through the early years of the war constructing aircraft for the Lockheed Corporation and in 1943 started what would be a 42 year career with International Business Machines (IBM), or "Big Blue" as the family always called it. He met the love of his life, Bette Caroline Randolph, when he was 15 years old while visiting Lost Horse Valley in Joshua Tree National Monument, where Bette lived part of the year. Briscoe and Bette were married on April 12, 1942 in Los Angeles, California and in 1943 they had their first child, Briscoe Barton Baldwin Jr. (Bart). In 1948 they moved to South Pasadena where they lived the next 58 years, raising their family and participating in the community. He was a loving husband and father, and while not a strict disciplinarian, he worked hard to instilled good moral values and the concept of fairness in his children. Briscoe was a scoutmaster and active with the YMCA, South Pasadena Oneanta Club and the Elks Club. He loved the outdoors and in his retired years he particularly enjoyed hitting the open road with Bette in their motorhome, often joining the Pasadena Elk's Rambling Rose and Lazy Daze RV groups. In 2006 Briscoe and Bette moved to the Maravilla Senior Living Community in Santa Barbara. Briscoe was preceded in death by his parents, all of his siblings and his oldest son Bart. He will be greatly missed by Bette, his wife of 71 years, his three surviving children, Tamera Nolan of Portland, Oregon, Marliss Waidhofer (Karl) of Elk, California and Randolph Baldwin (Heide) of Santa Barbara, California, his seven grandchildren, Robert, Toai, Matthew, Rian, Cara, Laura and Miles, his three great grandchildren, Costa, Max and Caitlyn and numerous nieces and nephews. The family wishes to thank the caring nurses and staff of Visiting Nurse and Hospice Services, Assisted Healthcare Services and Rita Espinosa, who all assisted to make Briscoe's final transition gentle and painless. The family will hold a private ceremony to celebrate his life.

Briscoe Barton Baldwin

October 25, 1920 - December 23, 2013