Tag archives: in passing
The arts, entertainment, sports, and philanthropic worlds were hit hard along the South Coast this year, losing the likes of philanthropist Lee Luria, musician Peter Clark, beloved polo club icon Charles Ward, and the Metropolitan Theatres’ owner Bruce Corwin. It was a tough year, but also a reflective one that allowed us all to appreciate […]
Aristides (Aris) Burton Demetrios was born in Lincoln, Massachusetts, on February 17,1932. He was born to a family of celebrated artists. His father was classical sculptor George Demetrios, who was a student of Bourdelle and had studied with Rodin. His mother was Virginia (Jinnee) Lee Burton, a celebrated author illustrator of children’s books, including “Mike […]
Jesse Alexander, 92, a photographer who documented the golden age of motorsport, passed away on December 14, 2021, in Santa Barbara. He was comfortable and at home, with his beloved wife, Nancy, by his side, holding his hand. Jesse was born on April 15, 1929, in Santa Barbara to Florence Louise Lyman and Junius Beverly […]
D. William (Bill) Wagner, 78, passed December 7, 2021, at home in Santa Barbara, surrounded by his wife and sons. Bill was born to Earl and Lois Wagner in Dixon, Illinois, and raised in Sterling, Illinois. A lifelong love of language and people led him from consecutive statewide debate championships for Illinois in 1960 and […]
On a personal note, I remember fellow gossip Liz Smith, who left us in New York at the age of 94. I first met the irrepressible Texan in 1978 when I became gossip columnist on Rupert Murdoch’s newly launched Star magazine, when she scribed at the Daily News, eventually becoming an on screen regular on […]
How would you feel if you lived with Multiple Sclerosis for more than half a century and, in an unrelated incident, suffered an organ failure that necessitated a new kidney donated by your son? If you were Bruce Corwin, you’d feel overwhelmingly grateful. Corwin was grateful to have survived everything life threw at him, grateful […]
Former corporate attorney and Harvard Law School graduate David Gersh has published his seventh book, The Whisper of a Distant God, an historical fiction of the Civil War. “It explores a little-known battle in that war and the struggle with duty, honor, and compassion by the Union commander’s wife, Louisa Canby, which made her the […]
John Daly, the Santa Barbara Foundation’s 78th Man of the Year, and his wife, Marti, celebrated his accolade with a bash for 50 guests at their charming Samarkand home. John, who I’ve known for many years, founded the Key Class, recognized for helping high school students learn skills needed to create a lifetime of opportunities. […]
The Montecito community sadly lost one of its greatest Benevolent Godfathers (and there are a few running around here) in Bob Short. A force to be reckoned with, Bob left a great legacy for Montecito. You may not have known him – or known him well – so we want to take a moment and […]
Bob Short, an icon and pillar of the Montecito community, passed this week. While we all adjust to the news, we will be visiting with his friends and family in the coming days to do a much longer piece on his remarkable life and significant contributions to Montecito next week. But, for now, please know […]
Opera Santa Barbara has come up with a most novel way to sell tickets to fans after the pandemic lockdown. Artistic director Kostis Protopapas has announced that a limited number of tickets for this season’s productions will be available to patrons on a name-your-own-price-basis. The name of this new initiative, made possible by a grant […]
Peter Clark always chose good, and “quietly” did good, never publicly sharing his many good deeds for others. The Montecito Journal’s society tribute to Peter was excellent, however I feel compelled as his decades’ long “jazz mom friend” to add to this exceptional man’s legacy from observations and what he shared over coffee near his […]
Dingle is a quiet port town along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, a little cove for some 2,050 people best known for its resident dolphin, Fungie. But on this particular night in 2005, it was another fun guy that captured the hearts of locals and the dozens of Santa Barbarans that had made the trek to […]
You sensed straight away that he was more than a nice guy; something other than a rail-thin, tall soul in a plaid shirt and jeans, looking to lend a hand. Though Steven Berg, who passed away on May 31, worked hard to convince you that he was just a regular gruff Joe, it was a […]
Jeanne Thayer never felt comfortable on a pedestal, ever since she was a young girl, too tall and lanky to feel like she belonged at the center of attention. Modesty followed her like a shadow, from her self-perceived awkwardness of youth into the awareness of her own privilege as a young adult. She lived a […]
It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Rosemary Phyllis Looney after a brief illness. She was born in Norwood, Massachusetts, on December 20, 1926, and passed at home in Carpinteria on June 8, 2021. She is survived by her daughters Sharyn Plunkett (Richard) and Sheryl Ford of Carpinteria, and Cynthia […]
On a deeply personal note, I remember Charles Ward, the longtime Texan publicist and promoter for the Santa Barbara Polo Club, who left us for more heavenly pastures at the age of 80 in his hometown of Dallas. We first met in 2007 when I moved to our rarefied enclave from Hancock Park in Los […]
Charles Lowell Ward, Jr., passed away peacefully on June 15, 2021, from complications of heart disease. The Houston native was preceded in death by parents Judy and Charles Ward, Sr., as well as brother Jeffrey S. Ward, Sr. He leaves behind nephew, Jeffrey S. Ward, Jr., grandnephews Tyler, Mason and Braden, and longtime business ally, […]
Stan grew up spending summers at the Malibu Beach Club on Long Island, where he watched adults play gin rummy. His appetite for learning games was insatiable. As a young boy, he devoured books on poker, gin, bridge, and blackjack. He was allowed to run a poker game in the basement of his home, his […]
The Santa Barbara wine industry — and the wine world as a whole — lost one of its superstars when Jim Clendenen died over the weekend. He passed away at his home in Buellton, in his sleep. He was 68. Wine aficionados who did not know him personally certainly knew his wine, especially his flagship […]
