Tag archives: in passing
Christina Murphy Allison died at Maravilla on August 22, 2018. Born in Brooklyn in 1939 and raised in Vancouver, B.C., she was a gifted soprano who trained in New York, claimed two Rockefeller grants, and sang with distinction with European opera companies for many years, including one memorable performance with Joan Sutherland. She came to […]
On a personal note, I remember Betty Stephens, a philanthropist and humanitarian, who has moved to more heavenly pastures at the age of 86. Betty, who came to our Eden by the Beach in 1969, would often invite me to her extravagant birthday bashes at the La Cumbre Country Club or her magnificent Hope Ranch […]
In lieu of the Dream Foundation’s annual Flower Empower lunch, the popular nonprofit hosted a bouquet-making event on the front lawn of the Hospice of Santa Barbara. Last year more than 8,300 bouquets were delivered, using donated flowers, to hospices, cancer centers, and personal residences. The event, which raised $25,000, also honored program sponsors Tim […]
Karen Earp, manager of the Biltmore, hosted a media bash at the beachside hostelry’s Ty Lounge for local scribes to welcome the Four Seasons hotel’s re-opening after five months of closure due to the catastrophic mudslides in January. “It is so good to be back!” enthused Karen. “There was a lot of cosmetic damage, and […]
My wife, Dorothy, died peacefully in her sleep on May 24, 2018. She was 86 and had for some time been a victim of Parkinson’s Disease, which progressively robbed her of all normal abilities to function. (Fortunately, she had some truly devoted caregivers.) We had been together for 51 years, living in Santa Barbara since […]
On a personal note, I remember banking billionaire Matthew Mellon, who died in Cancun, Mexico, at the all-too-early age of 53, as he was about to enter a drug rehab facility. Matthew, whose aunt was Bunny Mellon, a good friend of the late Jackie Kennedy, admitted to a $100,000 a month OxyContin habit, which he […]
Harry Kolb’s wife, Karen, recently passed away (see “In Passing” on page16); he penned the following short but poignant memory of their growing up together during an email back-and-forth with us that we think deserves wider dissemination: Karen’s brother, Jim, and I were best friends growing up in the St. Louis hills and Karen was […]
Karen left our world on February 27, 2018. She passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by her many friends and family and near her special garden. Karen was born October 13, 1946, to Arthur G. Stuckenberg and Clara (Juergens) Stuckenberg in St. Louis, Missouri. Arthur was a real estate developer and created the Williamsburg […]
Jack Cantin, 17, of Montecito, California, is presumed dead after being missing since the Montecito mudslides, which occurred January 9, 2018. His mother, Kimberly Cantin, and his sister, Lauren Cantin, were injured in the mudslides in which his father, David Cantin, 49, and his dog, Chester the Irish Setter, were killed. Jack was born in […]
On a personal note, I mark the untimely passing of the irrepressible beret-wearing Archie McLaren, founder of the Central Coast Wine Classic. Archie, 75, who hosted the KEYT-TV show, Wine Country, for two years, had been battling pancreatic cancer at his rainbow-colored home in Avila Beach, where I last saw him before Christmas, when I […]
KEYT senior reporter John Palminteri is pulling a few strings! Puppet Palooza Central threw a Puppets in Paseo event honoring the ubiquitous broadcaster and the ABC affiliate’s industrious team for their coverage of the Thomas Fire and the destructive and deadly aftermath. A Palminteri puppet was unveiled, complete with John’s signature moustache, that performed live […]
Dave Cantin, 49, of Montecito, California died suddenly as a result of the Montecito mudslides that occurred January 9, 2018. His wife, Kim, and daughter, Lauren, were injured in the mudslides and his son, Jack, 17, remains missing. David was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7, 1968, and spent his early years in […]
Our family’s story involves almost all the children who were killed during this terrible tragedy. You see, we own (I guess I should say owned) a house directly next to the Taylor and Benitez families. There is nothing left. Literally, nothing. What’s worse is that our dear friends and neighbors were pummeled by the storm, […]
Santa Barbara Symphony, under conductor Nir Kabaretti, in partnership with Montecito Bank & Trust, held a free concert at the Granada to raise money for disaster relief and recovery efforts in our rarefied enclave. Guitarist and artist in residence Pablo Sainz Villegas, accompanied by a small orchestra, gave an intimate and uplifting performance. “It was […]
On a personal note, I mark the passing of two great dames. Santa Barbara mystery writer Sue Grafton, whose alphabet series of novels were bestsellers, left us for more heavenly pastures aged 77 after a courageous two-year battle with cancer, ending her alphabet at Y. And in New York, Anne Slater, known for her signature […]
Thousands of firefighters, utility crews, contractors, and rescue workers have been working around the clock following last week’s deadly mudslides in Montecito. Now considered a search and recovery mission, three people remain missing as of press time; 20 people have perished, and the majority of Montecito residents remain under a mandatory evacuation as crews search […]
Starting out the New Year, I always make it a tradition to recall a few special people who passed away in the last. So, here are those who died in 2017 that I especially want to remember. This is a highly personal and random list, as it is every year. Usually I include those who […]



