In Loving Memory: Carol ("Barley") Brenner


She willed herself to make it through Jan's party. Like Jean, Claire, Prue, tough broad.--Miller Harris


When I think of Barley, I think of warmth and sunshine.  She was like  that.  She was one of the warmest and most open-minded people I ever  knew.  She had a wonderful lilt to her voice.  She was always upbeat, had a  wonderful sense of humor, and always seemed to be interested in whatever
you had to say.  I remember how, after my Mom died, Barley used to come over to my Dad's house bringing cinnamon buns.   How he loved those cinnamon buns!

I never once heard Barley complain.  She had a way of looking on the bright  side of everything.  She was a wonderful and very special person.  Her  death leaves a void that can never be filled, but her warmth and light will  live on in memory for many generations.-- Janet ("Janny") Wikler


Carol had a ready laugh and an unforgettable voice, round and silvery, full of enthusiasm even when she was cranky.  I have a clear memory of Carol and her cousin Ellen (my mother) giggling madly
somewhere, whether it was in our home or Carol's or Prue's.  My mother could giggle with the best of them, and I remember that Carol made her giggle.

Anytime I saw Carol she always, always made me feel special, as if I was the prodigal second cousin (?) returning to the fold. She was cute, had bright, dancing eyes, loved her children with quiet ferocity, and had a Philadelphia accent you could cut with a butter knife. I hate knowing she's gone.
---Rob Winans


I loved Barley.  I knew when I was going to see her that I would laugh and feel completely welcomed and loved no matter what was going on in my life.  I loved how she was always "right out there" with her personality, with absolutely no pretense, and how she stayed up-to-date in her thinking, and how she knew what really mattered in a person.  Even when I hadn't seen her for a long time, it was always comforting to me just knowing she was in the world and part of my family.  I'm going to miss that terribly now, but I feel so grateful for the wonderful memories I have of her. -- Jo ("Joanie") Wikler


Back to memorial page