Ralph Ralston Barkey, a two-time inductee to the UC Santa Barbara Hall of Fame, passed away at his home in Lincoln, California, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, four months shy of his 90th birthday.

He is survived by his daughter Leslye Barkey MacDonald of Davis, California; son John Barkey of Walnut Creek, California; four grandchildren Isabelle, Natalie, Brendan and Bridget; and one great grandchild.

Ralph was born to Vivian Church Barkey and Reuben Ralston Barkey in Sheridan, Wyoming, in 1935. He was the youngest of eight siblings.

After the loss of his mother at the age of 7, Ralph was raised by his siblings eventually settling with his sister Doris in Laramie, Wyoming.

In high school, as a Laramie Plainsmen, Ralph was an All-American high school athlete, lettering in both basketball and football.

In 1953 Ralph’s high school athletic achievements led to his recruitment to California to continue his academic and basketball career at Bakersfield Junior College. In 1954 Ralph was the All-Conference Selection for the Southern California Junior College Association.

It was during these years in Bakersfield that he met and married his wife Diane Peery Barkey. Their marriage continued in love to her passing in 2011.

Ralph transferred to UC Santa Barbara majoring in exercise physiology. He was named to the 1957-58 Honorable Mention All-America basketball team, NCAA College Division, to All-Conference player, as well as his induction into the UCSB Hall of Fame as an “Athlete.”

In 1958 Ralph became assistant basketball coach at UCSB. During this time, he completed his masters degree. He entered the coaching ranks when he was named the head coach at the College of San Mateo in 1960 where he remained for two years.

He returned to UCSB, in 1962, initially as a top assistant and then in 1966 as head coach for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. These were the first years of UCSB’s membership in the NCAA Division I level.

Ralph was inducted into the UCSB Athletic Hall of Fame a second time in the “Coach” category. He was named “College Coach of the Year” three different years by the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table.

After leaving coaching in 1978 Ralph entered athletic administration at Cal State Fullerton, and then in 1979 at UC Irvine before accepting the athletic director position at Sonoma State University in 1981. He retired in 1996 and was inducted into the Sonoma State Athletic Hall of Fame in March of 2003.

Ralph and his wife Diane retired to Sun City Lincoln Hills in Northern California in 1999, where Ralph immediately began organizing golf traveling groups. He had been a near-scratch golfer in earlier years. 

There were 64 singles in the men’s group and 15 couples, all of whom enjoyed traveling in the local five county area as well as to Reno and various Southern California resorts. This was greatly enjoyable for Ralph who only recently had to give the game up.

Ralph was often just called “Coach.” He loved athletics, but more importantly he loved what he believed athletics could bring to a young person’s life.

Using his talented abilities as a coach, both physical and mental, he was inspired to help young people, starting out in life.