Former Whatcom County Councilmember Barbara Brenner, one of the longest serving councilors in recent history, died from respiratory failure on February 9. She was 78.
Brenner, who did not follow political party lines, was known for her deep commitment to the Whatcom County community, whether that was standing up for environmental issues or keeping tight oversight of county spending. She served 28 consecutive years on county council, from January 1992 until January 2020.
“She didn’t think of herself as a politician,” said Edward Morris, Brenner’s husband. “She thought of herself as a public servant.”
Brenner was born in the Boston area on October 10, 1946, and grew up between Boston and Tampa, Florida. She traveled Central and South America in her young adult life, studying in universities and creating portraits of people along the way. Eventually, she moved to Fairbanks, Alaska, where she created artwork inspired by nature for a living. It was there where she met Morris, who had posted on a travel board looking for a ride to Bellingham at a time when Brenner was driving through the area.
“She later told me that she tore down my ad, which is why no one else answered,” Morris said. “She wanted someone to travel with, but she also wanted someone with mechanical knowledge. I got a kick out of that.”
Morris and Brenner settled in east Ferndale, where they bought a furniture refinishing business and Brenner nurtured the family’s yard, planting large evergreen trees and lilacs. Brenner had only lived in Whatcom County for a few years and was rearing her two young children, Wesley and Collin, when her public service career began.
Brenner was driving the kids to school in the late ’80s when she heard a radio announcement about a public hearing on whether the Thermal Reduction Company’s incinerator that was out of compliance should continue operating in Ferndale. Once Brenner learned that the incinerator was burning hospital waste and the subsequent health impacts, she began petitioning to close it – even spending 10 weeks on the steps of the state capitol in Olympia with her children, talking to anybody who would listen.
“She didn’t sleep a lot,” Morris said. “She’d research through the night. She was on the phone a lot and wouldn’t give up until she got her answer.”
She ran for Whatcom County Council in 1989, losing narrowly to well-known opponent Dennis Vander Yacht, before she won her second election that earned her a council seat in 1992.
One of Brenner’s most significant accomplishments was ending long-distance calling in Whatcom County in the early ’90s, when calling to and from Bellingham to other parts of the county incurred long-distance rates. Brenner also fought for county residents to be able to vote for all county councilmembers, not just the councilor representing their district, because she believed council should represent everyone.
Brenner was a longtime representative of District 3, which represented the northwest part of the county including Point Roberts, Blaine and , Birch Bay. After the districts were reorganized, she promised those residents that she would continue to look after their interests despite not being their official representative. Brenner visited the Point frequently and was well acquainted with its issues and its residents.
Brenner served on the council’s budget committee, where she would review the budget line by line. Even if money was going toward something she supported, such as cleaning Lake Whatcom, Brenner would vote it down if the money wasn’t audited, Wesley said.
“You can see how her decisions were consistent with a moral code she had but not consistent with any political party,” Wesley said. “She wouldn’t sway votes or be swayed by money or power. She loved her community and wanted to serve the people of Whatcom County.”
Morris said Brenner hated to miss council meetings, estimating that she likely only missed a few meetings in her nearly three decades of service.
Despite Brenner’s success representing county residents, her family says she had no aspiration to be a career politician. She did not like the role of money in politics and self-funded every campaign, they said, and even turned herself into the Public Disclosure Committee after she realized she had discussed an election on her council phone.
Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu, who joined council in 2015, served alongside Brenner for nearly five years.
“Councilmember Brenner was fiercely independent and freely spoke her mind,” Sidhu wrote in a statement to The Northern Light. “She had an outsized presence on county council, and her tenure was unprecedented in length, spanning five presidential eras. I found her historical knowledge to be invaluable, as she was able to provide important context for the issues that came before the council.”
Outside of public service, Brenner was passionate about her for love of dark chocolate, which Morris said she was always trying to make darker and gifting to those around her. She also was a silversmith, caregiver and dog-lover who brought Rosie, her Labrador-Rottweiler mix, with her anytime she was in the county council office.
“It is amazing how that sweetens and helps me stop thinking about the problems of the world,” Brenner said, referring to chocolate, in a 2018 article in the All Point Bulletin. “If you are ever interested in trying any, just give me a call at 360/384-2762 and we can arrange for you to come over for a taste.”
Brenner is survived by her husband Edward (Ed) Morris, sons Wesley and Collin, and sisters Nancy, Patricia (Patty) and Susan. She was preceded in death by her brother George and parents Ernest and Elinor.
Those wishing to pay tribute to Brenner’s life are encouraged to leave messages on her landline, 360/384-2762. Donations can be made to the Sean Humphrey House, an adult home for people with low incomes living with HIV or AIDs.
The family is planning a memorial in May.
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