Wednesday Obituaries

12/28/05

BRYANT, Travis Lee

72, died peacefully at home in Santa Barbara on Christmas morning, 2005.

He was born June 5, 1933 on a small farm seven miles north of Vernon, TX, to Kenneth and Ruby Bryant. When he was 8 years old the family moved to a farm near Chillocothe, TX, where he attended school until graduating in 1950. After one semester at Texas Tech in Lubbock he joined the US Navy in 1951. He was discharged Radioman Third Class in March, 1954.

He moved to CA in September, 1954, and worked for the Santa Fe Railroad as a telegrapher while attending UC Berkley, graduating with a BS in Business/Accounting in June, 1958. Relocating in Los Angeles, he was a Management Trainee for Tidewater Oil and worked for a CPA firm before settling with his most influential employer, Arcturas Mfg. in 1960, where he became the company's Controller, moving their metal forging plant from Venice to Ormond Beach in Oxnard in 1963.

In 1965 he invested in a franchise for Straw Hat Pizza in Oxnard, CA, the beginning of a successful career in restaurant development. After he and a partner sold 16 Straw Hat Pizza restaurants in 1972, Travis went on to develop other restaurant groups, including Pelican's Wharf and Hudson's Grill, and many speciality restaurants. He will also be remembered locally for Peabody's and State & A. He was involved in the financing, building and operation of 60 restaurants before retiring in the early '90s.

A resident of Santa Barbara for 33 years, Travis is survived by his loving wife of 34 years, Hope, and three children, Glenda Barbettini (Mrs. Steve) Issaquah, WA, Derrik Bryant (wife, Mica), Santa Barbara, and Justin Bryant (wife, Sadie), Felton, CA; three grandchildren, Heather Buckwalter (Mrs. Sam), Chris Sandwall, and Trevor Bryant; a sister, Cleta Bryant, Dallas, TX, and a brother, Deon Bryant, Dallas, and many nephews and nieces.

At his request, no memorial service will be held. Memorial gifts may be sent to Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care, 222 E. Canon Perdido St., SB, 93101. A celebration of Travis' life will be held in the family home at 1200 Channel Drive, January 7th at 2:00 p.m.

Arrangements by McDermott-Crockett Mortuary.

DODSON, Joseph C.

1915 - 2005

Joseph Curtis Dodson, a retired U.S. foreign agricultural officer, died Monday, December 26, 2005, in Santa Barbara, at the age of 90.

He had retired from federal service in 1972, and moved to Santa Barbara in 1975.

He was born in Sallisaw, Oklahoma on July 11, 1915, and attended schools in Oklahoma and Arkansas. He graduated from Henderson State College in Arkansas, later attending Iowa State College and the University of Southern California.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1946.

In 1946 he was sent by the State Department to Greece as a member of the Allied Mission to Observe the Greek Elections. He then joined the staff at Iowa State College. In 1948 he went to Japan as an agricultural economist with the U.S. occupation forces, with food program responsibilities. At the close of the occupation in 1952 he became an assistant agricultural attachŽ in the embassy in Tokyo, remaining until 1955.

From 1955 to 1958 he was on the staff of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the Department of Agriculture, in Washington. He then was assigned as agricultural attachŽ to Thailand. In 1962 he was transferred to Japan as attachŽ, then in 1966 to Argentina, where he remained until his retirement.

He received the Department of Agriculture's Superior Service Award in 1966 for his work in Japan.

His wife, the former Dorothy Alice Rod of Ames, Iowa, died in 1992. He is survived by three sons, Stephen, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Gary, of Vienna, Austria; and Eric, of Santa Barbara; and by two sisters, Lois Carruth, of DeQueen, Arkansas; and Martha Caroline Dodson, of Lancaster.

DOW, Jack

Jack was born on April 6, 1936, to George and Hester Dow. He passed away December 26, 2005, at Cottage Hospital.

A native to Santa Barbara, Jack attended Franklin Elementary, Santa Barbara Junior High, and Santa Barbara High School. After high school, he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Greenville, SC, where he trained as a mechanic and his first two children were born. Jack and his family moved to Sunnyvale, California in 1961 where they remained until their return to Santa Barbara in 1964.

Jack enjoyed City League Softball for many years, playing at Pershing Park when it was a wooden stadium. He excelled at hitting dink singles and calling for a pinch runner after he got on base. He took great pride in his cars, always keeping them in immaculate condition. One of his great thrills was working on the crew of a world speed record setting Corvair at the Bonneville Salt Flats in the late 60's. Jack enjoyed camping, fishing, attending his children's and grandchildren's athletic events, barbecuing, shooting the breeze with his friends and workmates, and family gatherings. He enjoyed telling jokes, both good and bad. But above all, Jack loved to laugh and make others laugh.

His beautiful smile and infectious laugh will be sorely missed by his surviving family: his wife of 31 years, Jaci Dow; his daughters, Debby Martinez (Caesar) and Jami Dow, of Goleta, CA; his sons, Doug Dow (Terri), also of Goleta, and Dennis Dow (Jacksie) of Gallup, NM. He will be especially missed by his seven grandchildren, Brett and Derek Martinez, Lauren and Hayden Dow, and Gaby, Molly, and Isabel Dow.

A memorial service will be held Friday, December 30, at 1pm at Welch-Ryce-Haider Funeral Chapel in Santa Barbara.

The family requests, that in lieu of flowers, a memorial donation be made to the charity of your choice.

GILDEA, Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette Gildea died on December 22, 2005, at the age of 103. A resident of Santa Barbara for more than 45 years, she was born in the Buzet family vineyard in Mouliets, Bordeaux, France on the sixth of June, 1902.

After World War I, Mrs. Gildea, known affectionately as Ninette, opened a bookstore and salon in Paris with her mother. Known as "Les Amis des Livres" it soon became a famous gathering place for aspiring artists and authors of the day, including Picasso, Chagall, Sartre and Colette.

An accomplished musician and actress, Ninette frequently performed on stage during the 1920's and '30's. After her first marriage to Fritz Behrendt she moved with him to Berlin. Experiencing the rise of Hitler and the fascist regime in the late 1930's, they left Berlin for Great Neck, Long Island, New York.

During World War II she worked with the USO in Manhattan, entertaining weary soldiers and sailors. She was fond of telling stories about how she, and her friend Marlene Dietrich, had to "rescue the French sailors from the brothels" on many occasions.

Following the death of Fritz she returned to Europe after the end of the War, and fell in love with an American engineer, Jim Gildea. They were married in 1947, and soon after moved to Saudi Arabia, where Jim built the first railroad on the west side of the Persian Gulf. Ninette's adventurous spirit was well suited for the exotic life in that country at that time, and she "mothered" a menagerie of many pets, including talking birds, and charmed all the sheiks in the area.

When Jim's work was completed in Saudi Arabia they moved again, first to Chateau L'Estange in France, and in 1959 to Santa Barbara. Ninette purchased the El Patio del Mar Hotel and Restaurant on Cabrillo Blvd. and later the West Beach Motor Lodge, and with Jim was a founder of Moby Dick Restaurant on Stearns Wharf.

Ninette and Jim became active members of the Santa Barbara community. They were particularly activated by the 1969 oil spill and by plans for considerable development at the Santa Barbara waterfront to become involved in local environmental activities. In the early 1970's they were instrumental in the development of the Community Environmental Council and established the Gildea Resource Center at that site, a gathering place that inspired and nurtured innovative environmental movements and programs for over thirty years.

Until her recent illness, Madame Gildea remained an active Santa Barbara philanthropist.

After a private graveside service she rests next to her beloved husband, Jim, at Santa Barbara Cemetery. A memorial service is planned for January 29 at a location to be announced. The community is welcome.

Arrangements by Welch-Ryce-Haider.

HARRISON, Ella

August 21, 1912 - December 23, 2005

Ella Harrison, long time Santa Ynez Valley Resident passed away on December 23, 2005 in Santa Barbara. She was born in Blyth, England, August 21, 1912. Her family immigrated to America in 1925 settling in New York. She met and married Fred Harrison in 1936, and in 1950 the Harrison Family moved to California, settling in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1966. Ella was active in many community organizations.

Ella is survived by her husband of 69 years, Fred Harrison; 3 sons, Jay (and Malgosia) Harrison and Jack (and Mollie) Harrison, both of Santa Ynez, Richard (and Nora) Harrison of Lompoc; grandchildren, Heather Ainsworth, Thomas, Roseanna, and Chance, and great grandson Mark Ainsworth; Ella's sister, Mary Bell of Solvang.

Ella Harrison is predeceased by her son Patrick.

Graveside Funeral Services are Wednesday, December 28th at 2:00 pm at Oak Hill Cemetery in Ballard.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Solvang Friendship House, 880 Friendship Lane, Solvang, CA 93463.

Loper Funeral Chapel, Directors.

ROMERO, Jess

Jess met with his Creator on Monday, November 21, 2005 at L & L Adult Home Living in Chandler, Arizona at the age of 92 years. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Matilde Lopez Romero, two sons and their wives, Fernando and Anna, Manuel and Linda. He is Tata and Tutti to grandchildren: Xochitl Isabella, Laurie Romero Kim, Manuel, Jr. and wife Veronica. He has four great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.

Jess was born on December 25, 1914 in Santa Ana, Sonora, Mexico. He grew up in Ventura and lived most of his life in Santa Barbara until he and his wife moved with their son and daughter-in-law to Gilbert, Arizona in 2002.

The gravesite service will be held at Carpinteria Cemetery, Carpinteria, California on Wednesday, December 28, 2005 at 10:00 a.m.

SIGNORELLI, Sylvia

A funeral mass for Sylvia Emelia Signorelli, 86, of Lompoc, will be celebrated 2 p.m. Wednesday at Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 3495 Rucker Rd., with the Rev. Msgr. John Fitzgerald officiating. Burial at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery with a reception following at the La Purisima Church Parish Hall.

Sylvia was born in Lompoc on July 28, 1919 to Peter and Gionina Guerra Rizzoli and was a Lompoc High School graduate with the Class of 1940. The wife of the late Bortolo Signorelli, the family farmed the western Lompoc Valley for many years. Sylvia was a devoted wife and mother who warmed the spirits of her family with her cooking - especially the well kept secret of her ravioli recipe - which to this day could not be replicated by her family.

She was a member of the Sons of Italy and Italian Catholic Federation.

Sylvia died Friday, Dec. 23, 2005 at the Lompoc Skilled and Rehabilitation Center.

Her survivors include a son, Jerry and wife, Donna Signorelli of Lompoc, daughter, Lucy M. and husband, Sam Cosma of Santa Barbara, sister, Mary Mullenary of Lompoc, five granddaughters, Sandy Aggarwal, Marcy Webb, Tracy Ramirez, Terri Aldecoa and Paula Signorelli, six great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bortolo, sisters, Nice Fumasi and Hilda Signorelli and brothers, Alfred, Mario, Peter and Emilio Rizzoli.

Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.

Starbuck-Lind Mortuary, Directors.

TORRES, Irene Rios

passed away peacefully in her daughter's home on December 23, 2005, at the age of 96, surrounded by her family. She was a woman of great faith, strength and courage. She was born October 20, 1909 to Pedro and Pilar Carrillo Rios. A native of Yahualica, Mexico, she met her husband, Gorgonio Torres, in her hometown of Yahualica, and they eventually made their home in Santa Barbara in 1927. They raised four children. She was predeceased by her husband in 1965, her son Lencho in 1987, her daughter Lupe Hernandez in 2003, and her grandson Ruben Hernandez last April. She is survived by her daughter Connie Aparicio-Feltch (Don), her son Nash Torres (Amelia), 19 grandchildren, 44 great grandchildren, and 20 great-great grandchildren.

Irene was a fabulous cook! Everyone loved her homemade tortillas, salsas, and authentic Mexican dishes. She lived for her family and had many, many friends, who will greatly miss her.

The family would like to thank the caring staff at Cottage Hospital and Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara for making it possible to bring our mother home.

There will be a Rosary on Thursday, December 29, 2005, 7 p.m. at Holy Cross Church, 1740 Cliff Drive. The Mass will be on Friday, December 30, 2005, 12 noon, also at Holy Cross Church. A reception in the parish hall will immediately follow the Mass. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate that donations be sent to Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, 222 E. Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.

Calderon Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.