Barbara Kamb Marinacci passed away on July 18 at her home in Pacific Palisades. She was 90.
Born on September 19, 1933, Barbara grew up with her older twin brothers and mother in the San Francisco Bay Area and San Jose, before relocating to Pasadena.
After graduating from La Rue School for Girls, she attended Reed College, UC Berkeley, and then the Chouinard Art Institute (later CalArts). It was there that she met Rudy Marinacci.
They soon embarked on a promising new life together in New York, establishing their careers; Barbara’s as an editor for Dodd, Mead & Co., and Rudy as an art director for J.C. Penney. Marriage followed, and the birth of their first child, Michael. Eventually returning to Southern California, the family settled in Santa Monica and added two more children to their family, Christopher and Ellen.
Barbara was a published author of six nonfiction books, as well as a coauthor, editor, researcher, and ghostwriter of numerous books on subjects as diverse as 19th century actresses, the poet Walt Whitman, commodity speculation, California Spanish place names (co-written with Rudy), and a pioneer in dietary therapy.
Most notable was her editing of legendary scientist Linus Pauling’s book In His Own Words, detailing more than 60 years of his life and work. Additionally, she was instrumental in Dr. Pauling’s book No More War! being published, and many years later worked with him at the Linus Pauling Institute.
In the mid-1980s, Barbara worked as editor-in-chief for the history book division of Windsor Books in Woodland Hills.
Later, post-divorce, Barbara moved to Mar Vista and worked as a consultant to Los Angeles-area nonprofit organizations dealing with mental health, education, and ethnic-minority issues. With her project the Cosmos Circle, she created an HIV/AIDS psychosocial support group and networking program, despite a climate of fear and stigmatization.
The early 1990s brought another change in residence for Barbara. She moved to Saratoga to live with and care for her elderly mother atop the vineyards at Mount Eden, her winemaker stepfather’s property in the Santa Cruz mountains. Rudy joined her there for several years, along with an array of dogs and cats. They continued their horticultural endeavors together on the rugged land, until such time that they returned to their separate lifestyles; it was not long after that Barbara moved to Pacific Palisades.
A lifelong gardener and environmental conservationist, Barbara was active in countless organizations, most recently including TreePeople, the Mountains Restoration Trust, and the Palisades Garden Club. She volunteered throughout Temescal Canyon and Los Leones by planting, restoring, and maintaining native species, as well as participating in local school gardening programs.
She could be found at the xeriscape garden across from Palisades High school on Temescal Canyon Road, weekly pulling non-native plants and weeds, keeping the garden well-maintained.
Her one-woman quest to eradicate the thorny, invasive yellow star thistle weed that choked areas of Pacific Palisades was a testament to her tenacity and determination.
In 2011, Barbara received the coveted Sparkplug Award by the Pacific Palisades Community Council in honor of her tireless contributions to the community.
Barbara lost her battle with cancer at her home with family at her side. She was preceded in death by her ex-husband Rudy (Rudolph) Marinacci, and her brother Dr. Barclay Kamb. She is survived by her brother Dr. Peter Ray; her children, Michael and Christopher Marinacci and Ellen Baldecchi; and her grandson Dante Baldecchi.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to any organization who would honor her remarkable spirit are welcome.
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
(Dylan Thomas)
