An Italian mayor, a Montecito philanthropist, and love in the time of coronavirus Everyone loves a love story, maybe even more so in these difficult times. I know I do, and by providence, my husband and I were able to be in the middle of this one. The story started with longtime Montecito resident Marjorie […]
Mary Tonetti Dorra has lived the most fascinating, international life you could ever imagine. We are lucky she and her husband, the late Dr. Henri Dorra, professor of art history at UCLA and UCSB and author of many books, decided to live here in Santa Barbara over 50 years ago even though they also spent […]
As much as my husband, Bob, and I love all our local firefighters, we have a special feeling for this particular member of the team, the reason for which will be revealed as you read down to the finish of the article. Blake was born and raised in Moorpark, California. His single mother, an emergency […]
Adele Marsh was born February 2 at 1:16 am in Utica, New York, into the arms of Faye and Nat Marsh. Faye was born in the US and is a descendant of Lithuania background while Nat Marsh was born in London, England, and one of eight children. Because of the backgrounds of both of her […]
Alida Aldrich was born in 1947 in Hancock Park, California to famed Hollywood director Robert Aldrich (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, the Dirty Dozen and the Longest Yard); her mother was Grace Foster. Both were from Warwick Neck, Rhode Island, the tony enclave on the Narragansett Bay – across from Newport. Her parents were born […]
Dano (as he is affectionately known) was born June 5, 1932 at home in the small farming town of Washington Courthouse, Ohio. His mother, Hazel, was 32 years old and his sister Alice was 10 when Dano was born. In 1935, at the age of three, he and his mother, father, and sister moved from […]
To say that Barbara Greenleaf is accomplished is like saying Clark Gable was “cute.” Barbara, the author of the blog Parents of Grown Offspring (POGO) is a whirling dervish and if you don’t look quickly you will miss her. She is one very busy woman with all interesting things going on and as far as […]
Richard Thomas Caleel was born in 1936 to Lebanese parents Tamir Sarkis Caleel and Almaza Caleel in Detroit, Michigan. He had two older siblings that he was very close to in spite of them being quite a bit older than him. His parents waited out the depression for their third child. Richard looked up to […]
Teresa McWilliams was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1937, and lived there with her family on their farm in the countryside. Her father, Mr. Glinski, was a concert pianist and composer in Poland, and they lived the gentry life, until the Germans came and occupied the country. When Teresa was just two years old, the […]
Susan Miles Gulbransen is a real Santa Barbara girl. She went to Santa Barbara High School and graduated from Laguna Blanca. After graduation, she attended Mills College as a History major, English minor, and went to UC Berkeley to get her secondary teaching credential. Already, I’m impressed! There is, however, a lot more learning she […]
Alex, a younger Robert De Niro lookalike, was born 51 years ago in Queens, New York, in August 1967. He moved to Santa Barbara in 1970 with his parents and that’s where he grew up. His father owned an antique shop on Coast Village Road, and his mother worked at Churchill Jewelers on State Street. […]
Aaron Briner, 43, grew up in Santa Barbara and is an eighth-generation Santa Barbara native. He attended San Marcos High School and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Aaron reminds one of a younger, more handsome brother of Garth Brooks. He seems very Americana, laid-back, and you can […]
Lucas Grant, our 31-year-old Steve McQueen lookalike, seems as though he would be just as comfortable stepping into a Formula One as he would a fire engine. He was born and raised in San Luis Obispo with older sister, Ashley. He played lots of sports growing up, mainly basketball, baseball, and football. He developed great […]
Thirty-six-year-old Shawn Whilt is the second of Montecito’s heroes that I am fortunate enough to interview. Shawn, a younger, handsome Tom Hanks-ish kind of guy with blue, blue eyes is a Santa Barbara Native. He was born here, went to Santa Barbara High, Santa Barbara City College, and then UCSB. He was active in sports […]
As those of you who have read my column know, I have written about people who are still thriving and doing what they love in the third and fourth chapters of their lives. For the next few weeks, however, I am going to write about five of Montecito’s firefighters who literally saved our lives in […]
Lillian Carson has the kind of face that not only makes you smile but also makes you want to throw your arms around her. First of all, it is beautiful but it’s also a kind and loving face – and that’s why it’s no surprise she is the expert on grandmothering and how to love […]
I moved to Montecito because of a house. I was living in Malibu and looking for a new start. On a visit to Montecito, I saw this charming little gardener’s cottage that had been part of a large estate. A friend owned the cottage and wanted to sell it, and I fell in love with […]
Ever since I have been doing these columns about interesting people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, friends have been saying, “You have to meet Natalie Myerson.” A mutual friend finally set us up for a lunch at Louie’s at the Upham Hotel in Santa Barbara, and Natalie was there waiting for us when we […]
My next subject is someone I know very well. Oh, okay, full disclaimer: his name is Bob Fead and… he’s my husband. But, I would be interested in writing about his life even if he weren’t my husband. Whenever anyone learns he’s been in the music business, these are the answers to the questions he […]
Some people you meet in life by pure coincidence and others are put in your path. I do believe Perie Longo was not only put in my path for a reason but changed the course of my life forever. I was a painter when I met Perie, and now I am a writer; more about that […]
Jeff Farrell was born in 1937 in Detroit, Michigan, and was raised in Wichita, Kansas. He and his father quickly understood that he had a passion for swimming when he plopped into the pool at 3 years old. His father had to jump in with his new business suit on to save him; after he […]
Growing older is not all gloom and doom; it’s a lot about having a great attitude, no matter what’s thrown at you. Take Betty Meyer, for instance. She’s upbeat, and her voice has a twinkle in it. Talking to her is like taking a step back into a more gracious time. Betty plays bridge; she […]
If you are worried about aging and don’t know Doug Wood, you should. This man has the greatest smile and attitude, and it shows in everything he does. Growing older is not stealing the meaning or the fun out of his life. But, wait, I am getting ahead of myself. Doug was born in Los […]