James Barrie Logan

March 14, 1940 - January 2, 2024 James Barrie Logan, called Barrie all his life, died of Alzheimer's disease in a memory care facility in Austin, Texas, on January 2, 2024. He was 83 years old.
Barrie was born in Houston, Texas, on March 14, 1940, the second son of Reverend William Malcom Logan and Charlene Millard Logan. He went to Stephen F Austin High School where his science project won a national Westinghouse Science award. His Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Texas was Phi Beta Kappa. Barrie moved to California and Caltech in 1962. While there, he developed life-long interests in playing the banjo and guitar, learning all he could about wine, and cooking. In 1967, he married Ruth Riley, a fellow graduate student at Caltech.
Barrie spent his career as a professor of chemistry at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. He was very influential at the college being active in department, union, and Academic Senate. He was most proud of his efforts to change the academic calendars of California Community Colleges. This opened the door to winter sessions and many other variations on class session length that made the colleges much more flexible institutions. He retired in 2006.
Wherever he went, Barrie made wonderful friends, many of whom he was still in contact with for the rest of his life. Barrie and Ruth travelled all over the world with two or even three major trips per year. They continued to attend wine events, and Barrie kept on cooking.
Barrie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. His decline was sometimes slow, sometimes more sudden. Ruth moved him to a memory care unit in Austin, Texas, near his sister Heather in early 2023 where he died. As he requested, Barrie was buried with a "green" burial in a rustic cemetery named Eloise Woods in Austin. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, by his sister Heather, and by numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial reception will be held for Barrie on Thursday, March 21, at the Hilton Santa Monica Hotel, 1707 Fourth Street, from 10 am to 12 noon. Please bring stories or comments about Barrie to the celebration.