Dean Barnett, R.I.P.
Bill Kristol writes that blogger Dean Barnett has passed away. He battled cystic fibrosis while maintaining a tireless blogging/writing schedule. Dean was brilliant, hilarious, and gracious — one of the OG’s of the blogosphere, a trenchant essayist, and a talented radio host to boot.
He will be missed.
Dean Barnett’s home on the web: Soxblog.
Posted in: Blogosphere
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
- Dean Barnett: 1967-2008 | The American Pundit
- Dean Barnett, R.I.P. (The Chowdah Man Passeth) « Zipline Conservative
- Dean Barnett Dies at 41
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Blogosphere
Pundit & Pundette
» Westboro haters have enough to go around for everyone
Pundit & Pundette
» Guess what? Hasan frequented strip club
Legal Insurrection
» Pelosi's Abortion Land Mine Explodes
Riehl World View
» Holder Cares About CAIR

Stop The ACLU
» Hasan Tried To Contact al Qaeda. Sounds Like A Jihadi To Me
NewsBusters.org
» Matthews on Ft. Hood Suspect Warning Signal: 'That's Not a Crime to Call al Qaeda, Is It?'
Ed Driscoll
» Go Flag Yourself, Mr. President!






McCain win or lose, 2008 will long be remembered as the year conservatives lost a lot of the greatest.
RIP Dean, I loved your writing.
R.I.P.
You will be missed.
I pray God will place His arms around Dean. I pray for the family.
L
Oh, crap!
My thoughts and prayers go out to Barnett family.
This is such heartbreaking news. It is true, only the good die young. You will be deeply missed, Dean. God’s blessing to his friends and family.
This is a terrible disease with low life expectancy. At least the suffering is over. Thoughts for his family from here.
Huh?
Old Guard?
I guess so.
Despite that awful accent, he was as good a guest host as any listener could ever want for the Hugh Hewitt show.
When I would turn on H.Hewitt and Dean was filling in it was not a let down. You think you know someone when you sit down with them for a few hours a day.
He will be missed.
Condolences and prayers for his family.
I would listen to Dean when he filled in for Hugh Hewitt. When Hugh announced that Dean was in ICU a couple of weeks ago, I was blown away. I didn’t even know he was battling that cruel disease. I will miss him, he had me rolling on my way home when he was on the radio. RIP, Dean.
OG refers to “original gangster”.
So sorry to hear of this.
RIP Dean.
I think I heard on Hewitt’s show either Thursday or Friday that the doctors had to remove a kidney, so I knew his chances weren’t good.
They are slowly extending the life expectancy for people with CF. Mu mother’s brother, my uncle, died at 10. My mother is a carrier of the most common CF gene, so I had myself tested, and I am not a carrier, which is good. Since my wife is not Northern European ethnicity, odds are very high none of our children are carriers.
RIP Dean, you shall be missed.
RIP Dean. Prayers for your family and friends.
From a fellow sufferer of Cystic Fibrosis, rest in peace, Mr. Barnett. Your contributions are most appreciated and you are already greatly missed.
That’s always been my understanding. I see O’Reilly talking about the “haters” every other night. Now Malkin is giving cred to an OG. No disrespect to the cuzzins on this tread, yo. I just didn’t know sistah Malkin was down. I’ll poor out some liquor for the homie till I meet him at the crossroads.
One Love.
A true conservative from a liberal state. His times covering for Hugh Hewitt were always fun, and he attracted a great number of regulars. This chowdah-head will always be fondly remembered. God comfort his family.
Oh, God. How sad. He was such a super guy. He’ll be very much missed, and my heart goes out to his family.
41! I didn’t realize he was that young.
Though I suppose for CF pt’s that is Senior.
And who says he had a funny accent? We
all talk that way (or used to before moving to Californ-I-A. I swapped a few
emails with him and he was truly a gentle spirit but a true Conservative Firebrand. Bummer. One of the Good Guys was called home. Father, was it something he said????
My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
May his Soul and all the Souls of the Faithfully departed rest in Peace.
Peace brother. Nothin’ but love.
One of the rare times I was not disappointed to hear a guest host was when Dean filled in for Hugh. What a huge and tragic loss for his immediate family and those of us who considered him family when we listened to him on the radio.
America has lost a great champion. His voice will be sorely and sadly missed.
May perpetual light shine upon him and may his soul through the mercy of God rest in peace.
May God hold Dean’s family in the comfort of his love throughout these painful days. God Bless
I appreciated the vigor and joy in his New England accent when he subbed for Hugh Hewitt. Comfort to his family and friends!
I sure will miss him. I enjoyed reading his blog posts over at HughHewitt.com and I loved his accent when he did radio.
When I would e-mail him, he would answer with wit and humor even though he was very busy. I will lift up his family in prayer.
God be with them
Speaking as someone who also has that awful accent, I’m so glad Dean got to see his beloved Red Sox win not once but TWICE in his lifetime and that he was here to enjoy the Celtics championship this June. He will be missed.
I feel like I knew Dean. I have been reading his blog a long time. God bless Dean and his family and friends. I personally will miss him.
My prayers go out to the Barnett family. Dean was special as a person fighting a certain early death, and as a blogger who stood in for Hugh Hewitt. I never heard him on air, but loved his writing, and told him so on more than one ocassion. HE WILL BE MISSED!
Like many of you, I’d hear Dean Barnett sub for Hugh Hewitt. He will be missed.
Say hi to Tony Snow, William F. Buckley, and Ronald Reagan for us, Dean.
Chowdah……..
Rest in peace Dean. You fought the good fight.
Rest in peace Mr. Barnett, it’s always difficult to see a good man go. May his family find peace with his loss.
I really enjoyed him on Hugh Hewitt’s show. His wife sounds like a wonderful lady. My condolences to his loved ones. Rest in peace, Dean.
Gentle as the touch of the evening breeze,
which caresses the soul indeed,
We feel the whole of our heart,
In our solace, empty, while still yet full,
The voice we will not hear,
Upward and onward toward the Great Beyond,
Fly away, fly high,
May you find your peace in the comfort of the ages,
Go with God fallen soldier…
Dean Barnett, 41; was conservative columnist and blogger
By Gabrielle Dunn
Globe Correspondent / October 28, 2008
Mr. Barnett, a well-known conservative columnist, author, and blogger, died at Brigham and Women’s Hospital of cystic fibrosis yesterday. He was 41.
“All his life he’s been aware that he had this terminal disease but it never stopped him from doing everything and enjoying life to the fullest,” his brother said. “Whether it was writing about politics, or working on his golf game, or spending time with friends and family.”
Mr. Barnett was born in Boston and diagnosed with the disease at 9 weeks old. He grew up in Newton and graduated from Newton South High School in 1985.
He went on to graduate from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in government in 1989 and from Boston University’s law school in 1992.
Mr. Barnett lost a race for state representative in Newton that same year, running as a Republican. He then started a Boston-based legal recruiting company in 1993, working to place attorneys at law firms across the country.
He remained politically active, however, becoming one of the first half-dozen volunteers to work for Mitt Romney’s fledgling Senate campaign in January 1994. As part of his duties, Mr. Barnett would often drive Romney to town meetings and events.
Mr. Barnett also began blogging about conservative politics and sports in the early 1990s as a hobby for family and friends on his website, soxblog.com. Early this decade, he took an executive position at his father’s Boston construction company but continued to blog.
His website’s popularity grew steadily, leading to recognition from radio host Hugh Hewitt, who in 2006 invited Mr. Barnett to also blog on his website, hughhewitt.com. Mr. Barnett later became a regular guest host on Hewitt’s radio program, “The Hugh Hewitt Show.”
Mr. Barnett started blogging for The Weekly Standard about a year ago, which he continued until his death. His work has also appeared in National Review Online, the Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe, and Townhall.com.
Mr. Barnett loved to engage others in political discussions and share opinions, his brother said. He said it was not a surprise to him when Mr. Barnett’s blog garnered recognition and fame.
“He very much enjoyed that he touched people, inspired people, provoked thoughts. It was perhaps the most fulfilling thing he did professionally,” Keith Barnett said. “Although he didn’t set out to do this, he was an example to the entire cystic fibrosis community that one could still build a life with meaning and I think he took pride in that.”
In addition to his brother, Mr. Barnett leaves his father, Richard of South Natick; his mother, Karen of Chestnut Hill; his wife, Kirstan of Belmont; and seven nieces and nephews.
A funeral will be held tomorrow today-Ed at 1 p.m. at Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline.