Remembered for his positive and cheerful attitude and willingness to pitch in wherever needed, retired Bond Buyer reporter and municipal market fixture Harold "Chip" Walter George Barnett, Jr. died on Monday.
He was 67.
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," according to the obituary he penned prior to his passing, which was shared by his sister Maryalice.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Chip Barnett, a beloved colleague, and a cornerstone of The Bond Buyer newsroom over multiple decades," said Mike Scarchilli, editor in chief of the Bond Buyer.
Barnett's nearly half century career as a financial journalist included two stints at The Bond Buyer, first early in his career and then again from 2014 to 2024. He retired on April 30 and relocated to Florida.
"Chip was a generous colleague, and a friend, who was always willing to lend a hand," Scarchilli said. "His dedication to his craft, wealth of knowledge, and genuine kindness made him a respected journalist and a cherished member of our team. He will be sorely missed."
His interest in writing stretched back to grade school when he penned mystery novels with his sister.
He took college courses in business and law at Iona College in New Rochelle while he was a senior at Salesian High School, which likely sparked his long journalism career.
He studied film and communications at Fordham University, and then went on to the College of White Plains, now Pace University, where he studied journalism and was a deejay at Pleasantville radio station WRPW.
He later took business and securities law classes at the New York Institute of Finance, journalism classes at Columbia University and Russian language classes at the New School. He also attended numerous seminars given by the New York Stock Exchange, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Real Estate Board of New York.
He was a long-time resident of Pelham Manor, lived in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan from 1987 to 1997, and then moved to Florida after retiring.
"Chip was a devoted friend and journalist who touched many lives," said Gary Siegel, a Bond Buyer managing editor, who has known Barnett since they worked together at Munifacts more than 30 years ago.
"Talented, outgoing and kind, he was always giving of himself to help a colleague or mentor young reporters," Siegel said.
"And as amazing as he was at the job he loved, his personality surpassed that," Siegel said. "He cared about people and it showed. Everyone used a word synonymous with amazing to describe him and his impact on their lives."
Siegel's LinkedIn post Wednesday about Barnett's death resulted in shock at his sudden passing, just months after he retired, and kind words from muni industry people who had known him.
"Chip has always been a consummate professional and a canny observer of our marketplace. He will be missed by many of us in the muni community," Triet Nguyen, vice president/strategic data operations for DPC Data, said of Barnett in an emailed response.
"He was the kind of reporter you always wanted to talk to," said Suzanne Shank, CEO of Siebert Williams Shank & Co. "He was really humble in his approach and always stood aside to let his subjects tell the story."
Ben Watkins, Florida's director of bond finance, wrote in his response to Siegel's post that he was "sorry to learn of Chip's untimely passing," calling him a "true pro," adding he enjoyed Barnett's friendship and professionalism."
He made "a tremendous contribution to the muni business," Watkins wrote.
"I always valued talking with Chip when I was at the NYC Comptroller's office," Carol Kostik, a trustee at the Citizens Budget Commission and former deputy comptroller of New York City, wrote in response to the LinkedIn post. "He was fair, knowledgeable and [had] a sense of humor he had to keep out of his reporting."
Barnett worked closely with former Bond Buyer colleagues Paul Burton and John Hallacy to create The Bond Buyer's signature style of
Hallacy, who had known Barnett since he worked for Merrill Lynch as a banker back in the 1990s, said, "the big thing about Chip is he was always inquisitive and knew the hot topics.
"He always had good questions," Hallacy said. "He was pushy, but in gentle ways. He got what he needed for a story and moved on, he wasn't out to score points, but to establish longtime relationships with sources."
Hallacy and Barnett also shared a love of fine wines.
"We talked about doing a special report (on a podcast) about the wine regions in the U.S. and their bond ratings," Hallacy said. "We never got to that one, but he always had a pretty refined wine palate."
"He was a good guy and always fun to work with," Hallacy said.
His podcast style evoked the smooth baritones redolent of a bygone era. He gave the podcasts a certain gravitas and professionalism.
"Chip was a knowledgeable and hardworking colleague and became a wonderful resource for me as our master of podcasts and whenever I needed advice about covering New York. It's hard to think that he's gone," Bond Buyer Executive Editor Kyle Glazier said.
He also produced the
In an industry driven by deadlines, it's easy to become impatient and sharp, but Barnett never was.
"Chip was a hard-working and talented journalist who left his mark on The Bond Buyer and this industry," said Lynne Funk, Bond Buyer executive editor. "He was also a genuine, kind-hearted soul who I had the good fortune to call my colleague and friend. He most certainly is gone too soon."
Though he covered commercial real estate for a few years before heading the markets team as a senior reporter after rejoining The Bond Buyer in 2014, the majority of his career was spent in the muni industry.
He retired as a senior reporter covering the northeast and southeast for The Bond Buyer.
Barnett's career, which stretched almost 50 years, began at Gannett Newspapers in Westchester County, New York, where he "worked his way up from back-shop compositor to senior news editor," according to his Bond Buyer profile.
"Of course I actually came to The Bond Buyer in 1987, working at State Street when the newspaper had its own News Wire and was owned by Thomson Reuters (no internet in the dark ages), stayed with Thomson Reuters when they sold off the BB (in 2004) and I have been causing muni market mayhem ever since (except when I was causing problems in Miami with The Real Deal)," Barnett wrote in a farewell email to colleagues his last week with the publication.
He later worked for Thomson Reuters in Manhattan, covering state and local government finance as a reporter and as executive editor for
He also worked for Debtwire/Municipals and wrote about commercial real estate in South Florida and the Midwest for both The Real Deal and Globe Street.
"Munifacts was a private newswire communication service for municipal bonds which provided information on new municipal bond issues in the primary market and secondary market. In 1996, it was renamed Thomson Municipal News, then later folded into The Municipal Market Monitor (TM3), a subscription service available from Refinitiv," according to Investopedia.
Barnett asked in his final requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to his alma mater Salesian High School, 148 Main Street, New Rochelle, New York 10801. His sister also said that, if people prefer, donations could be made to the charities of one's choice.
