Edwin John Barton

Edwin John Barton (1954-1925)

Edwin John Barton, 71, of Cambria, CA died in Bakersfield on 10/27/2025 with his family by his side. Born on 4/30/1954 in Waterbury, CT to John Edwin Barton and Carole Springer, he attended school in nearby Watertown and also the Choate School, where he was a member of the football and wrestling teams. After school, he studied for his B.A. in English and French at Franklin Pierce College, his Master's in English at the University of Toronto, and his Ph.D. in English at Vanderbilt University.

At Vanderbilt, Ed met fellow graduate student Glenda Hudson of Canterbury, England, whom he married in 1988. They both accepted offers as professors of English at California State University, Bakersfield. After ten years at CSUB, Ed took a position at Bakersfield College, where he later became chair of the English Department. He retired in 2017 after nearly twenty years at BC to spend more time at his beach house in Cambria, California.

Ed's love of books began when he was a young boy. So that his mother could attend nursing school, he was watched over by his great aunts, Doris Barton and Valmar Judd, who taught him to read the Bible before he started school. Little wonder then that he went on to be a professor of English, a well-received author of two books

and other publications, and an amateur poet. But Ed was also a versatile athlete: as a boy and young man he played football, baseball, basketball, and tennis. He also ran track and wrestled. As he grew older, he continued to play tennis but increasingly devoted himself to golf. In 2000, he joined Stockdale Country Club in Bakersfield, where he golfed regularly and even played more than 200 rounds one year! His other avocations included hiking along the central coast of California and Big Sur, wine tasting in the Paso Robles region, and cooking for and with friends.

Ed is preceded in death by his parents and brother Thomas Judd Barton and survived by his beloved wife, Glenda, and his dear daughter, Caroline Barton-Hudson. A private celebration of life for Ed is to be held in Cambria on 22 November 2025. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.