Words like unique and eccentric do not begin to convey the essence of Arthur Edward Kennedy, a person who was simply one of a kind, who passed on to the great unknown on his own terms at the age of 91, on a beautiful sunny afternoon in his home in Isla Vista.
Arthur was a fiercely intentional man of informed opinion, and while he was spare with words, the ones he did utter carried weight. He embraced strong feelings towards justice, his actions were quiet, and the impact followed.
We will miss his presence most — the one-liners, the inside jokes, the humor that arrived without warning. And in equal measure, his serious, unwavering dedication to social advocacy, to helping those who needed it.
He moved between both worlds without contradiction, because for Arthur, they were never separate.
For a man of few words, he never failed to get his point across. In fact, he loved to make up new nonsensical words and sure made a lot of silly noises. His wacky, humorous outgoing answering machine messages were priceless.
He loved babies and children, and could meet them where they were with giggles, hugs and smiles. Speaking of hugs, he was a connoisseur of the real thing and offered unsolicited advice on whether one’s attempt passed muster.
As an individual, Arthur was honest, highly intelligent and socially conscious. His actions were thoughtful, intentional, and continue to have long-term impact in the community.
Upon Arthur’s passing, members of the Isla Vista Community Services District Board (IVCSD) moved quickly to draft and agendize a resolution honoring Arthur that can be read here. It includes the following line:
“Arthur Kennedy was known for his quiet ways, with his deadpan expression and expressive eyes speaking volumes about his opinion on any variety of subjects.”
The fast action of the IVCSD Board speaks volumes about Arthur’s stature among leaders in his beloved Isla Vista.
Arthur helped establish and lead multiple grassroots, people-powered institutions in a community reeling from the upheaval of the Vietnam war, in the aftermath of the infamous 1970 Bank of America bank burning.
He served countless terms on the boards of the I.V. Food Coop, I.V. Youth Projects, and I.V. Community Development Corporation, among others. He was elected and re-elected to the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District Board.
As a volunteer, he was simply indispensable, adding critical capacity that helped these community-serving organizations to grow and thrive. Arthur was a one-man community-focused wonder, and his involvement over the five decades he lived in Isla Vista leaves a notable impact.
His kind and generous heart was demonstrated not only through assisting local organizations, but in the many ways he helped his community. He shared his home with longtime community leaders, families, and friends.
He provided water to a Hmong immigrant mother in the community garden next door to prevent her vegetables from dying when their water had been shut off. As the story goes, her son eventually grew up to become a doctor.
Arthur gave selflessly to the needs of others, solving problems, sharing tools, fixing what was broken with his infinite DIY “Mr. Fix It” skill set.
He was the Lady Gaucho Basketball team’s No. 1 booster for over 30 years, and rallied for the establishment of season tickets specifically for the women’s basketball team.
Arthur loved Mother Earth and was a consummate gardener and environmentalist. He was an early adopter of reusing grey water on his orchard and grew delicious mandarins, apples, blackberries, avocados and pears.
His garden varied from year to year depending on the whims of his dark green thumbs, but always seemed to include plenty of garlic, his favorite food next to sushi, sake, IPA, and coffee ice cream.
He was a natural health nut ahead of his time, avoiding major surgery his whole life, believing his health was up to him to maintain. His fridge was full of interesting and exotic organic foods, and he was eating garlic and juicing apples to the very end.
Arthur was born in Detroit, Michigan, on Jan. 3, 1935, and because his mother was a devout Catholic, he attended St. Ambrose School and later the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. From there he earned a scholarship to USC and landed in Southern California as a young man.
His time in college was transformative, both intellectually and personally, and in 1956 he graduated with a degree in philosophy, a field that reflected his thoughtful nature and keen interest in life’s deeper questions.
In 1959, he and his first wife Patricia welcomed their son Paul. In time, he later married Robin, and in 1967, they welcomed their daughter Kalai.
In 1968, he earned a certificate of completion from the Metrolonics Institute of Metrology, which provided him a career path with Mobilescope, Inc as their area manager for Santa Barbara.
Then he and two friends branched out on their own and started Scope*Tek, a true “mobile” electronics service company. Arthur towed his little white trailer around Goleta, calibrating oscilloscopes and other electronics for the growing aerospace and defense tech industry companies like Applied Magnetics, Joslyn Electronics, Raytheon and others.
However, it was music, specifically jazz, that was Arthur’s first love, and he grew up listening to the likes of Gillespie, Parker, Powell, Mingus and Roach.
He was an accomplished musician himself, playing the upright bass, guitar, sax and piano, among myriad other instruments; if it made sound, he could figure out how to play it.
In the early 1970s he was in several bands around town, most notably, Tom Foolery, with regular gigs at Borsodi’s Coffeehouse in Isla Vista and the Bluebird Café in downtown Santa Barbara.
Basketball was Arthur’s other favorite passion, and there were many years of playing hoops out at Rob Gym, or behind his house, whether a quick pickup with strangers or on a team of regulars.
Upon the arrival of his grandsons Justin (2004) and Nathan (2006), he devoted himself to being involved in their daily lives and attended nearly every event they participated in.
There was everything from musicals, presentations, graduations and sports. For two decades, they shared a close and enduring bond built on everyday moments that have become cherished memories.
From rides to and from school, meals at home, all the birthdays, sushi outings, bowling parties, parades, barbecues and burritos to go, Pops was always there. He wasn’t just present, he was a beloved and steady fixture in their daily lives, offering love, support and companionship in ways both big and small.
Arthur left Earth on Jan. 24, 2026, and is survived by his children Paul (Dr. Valerie King) of Portland, Oregon, and Kalai (Scott Suttner); along with his beloved grandsons Justin and Nathan of Santa Barbara; brother Patrick (Patricia) of San Antonio, Texas; and sister Jeanette (Dr. Steven Alexander) of Palo Alto, California.
There are countless dear friends, extended family and neighbors, along with the entire community of Isla Vista that will greatly miss him. His quiet strength and great big love of giggles and hugs will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.
In the spirit of sharing with his community, his family and friends he loved so much, we would love to build a “Gang of Art” with your own stories, memories, photos and all the “Arthurisms” you can muster; please visit: Arthur’s Kudoboard.
A Community Celebration for Arthur will be 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1 at Anisq’Oyo Park in Isla Vista. For more information, please contact: kalai@me.com