Harry “Chip” Barnett of Venice, Florida, died on October 7, 2024, after a long illness. He was 67 years old.

Mr. Barnett suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, a disease related to the World Trade Center terrorist attacks on 9/11, which took place close to where he was working at the time.

Mr. Harold Walter George Barnett, Jr., was born in New Rochelle, N.Y., on April 14, 1957, and moved as a child to Pelham Manor, N.Y.

He was a resident of Pelham Manor for most of his life. He retired to live in Florida in 2024.

Mr. Barnett was a professional journalist in New York for almost 50 years.

Professionally, he was employed by the Gannett Westchester Rockland Newspapers (later known as the Journal News) in Harrison for 10 years working his way up from back-shop compositor to Senior News Editor in charge of the front page.

Mr. Barnett worked for Thomson Reuters for 25 years, covering federal, state, city and local government finance as a correspondent and editor. He held such posts as MuniFacts News Editor, Thomson’s Municipal Market Monitor (TM3) News Editor, Editor in Chief on the newswire, Executive Editor at The Bond Buyer and finished up as Reuters News’ Editor in Charge, Public Finance Group.

He became a senior reporter for The Bond Buyer in 2014, where he wrote daily market reports, conducted video interviews and podcasts, and wrote, produced and anchored weekly video reports on government finance. He was also a member of the New York City Press Corps, writing about the NYC Mayor’s Office, Comptroller’s Office and City Council. He also covered the U.S. president when he was in New York and carried White House press credentials. He retired from The Bond Buyer in 2024.

Additionally, he was executive producer of several independent music videos and albums for various French and Ukrainian pop artists.

Mr. Barnett became a Scottish Noble by way of being a landowner and was jokingly referred to in the UK as Sir Harry of Chipping Barnet.

Mr. Barnett liked traveling abroad. He had a collection of rare French Bordeaux wines, which he enjoyed, and often cooked French, Italian and English dishes. He liked foreign films, and he loved European pop music, even traveling to Moscow to see the Eurovision Song Contest.

He also liked to read mystery and historical novels. His favorite authors were Agatha Christie, Georges Simenon, Ayn Rand, and William Shakespeare.

Mr. Barnett’s parents, Harold Walter George Barnett, Sr and Mary Theresa Dorothy Harkins Barnett predeceased him.

He was also predeceased by his grandmother Mary C. Harkins, Aunts Teresa Butler, Alice Harkins, Regina Harkins, Geraldine Harkins and Rita Barnett, Maude Condon and Ruth Sullivan and Uncles William Harkins, Jr. and James Harkins as well as by William Sullivan, Charles Ankner and John and Marion McDevit.

He is survived by his sister, Maryalice Cecilia Barnett of Pelham Manor and 14 cousins and their children. He also left behind many kind and faithful friends and colleagues, across the country and around the world.

Mr. Barnett will be joining his parents and paternal grandparents B. Walter and Philomena (Kiernan) Barnett and great grandparents Moses and Miriam (Merrill) Barnett at his new home in Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, N.Y., after a short ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Salesian High School in New Rochelle.

(PS: Being a journalist, this obituary was written by Mr. Barnett before he died, so any typos or inaccuracies are entirely his fault.)

Visitation will be at The Pelham Funeral Home on Wednesday, November 13 from 4 pm – 8 pm and The Funeral Mass will be at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pelham Manor, on Thursday, November 14 at 10 a.m.