Betty Lynds Weisman
July 31 1920 – May 19, 2010
Our dear Betty Lynds Weisman passed away in her sleep on May 19, 2010. She was 89 years old. Betty was a World War II era bride from New Zealand who met her husband, Ed Weisman, while working as a secretary on Admiral Halsey’s staff in New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Their marriage produced four children and also created a locus of activities, music, sports, personal connections and general fun for family, friends and neighbors.
Until her mid 70’s, Betty was an active tennis player and enjoyed long standing friendships with her many tennis buddies at the Municipal Courts and later at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club. All of her children learned to play tennis. Summer days usually started with family and neighbor kids stuffed into her station wagon for a morning of tennis and then on to a picnic lunch at Butterfly Lane beach and afternoon surf play. She and Ed were avid dancers and were charter members of the Los Fiesteros Dance Club. It was natural that many of their friends became tennis players or dancers as Betty was a superb recruiter and loved to include everyone.
This recruiting capability was well employed by the Santa Barbara Yacht Club where Betty served for many years as the Program Chair of the Monday Forum. Somehow she managed to keep a constant stream of scientists, politicians, yachtsmen, test pilots and business and military leaders lined up to speak at the well attended luncheons. She enjoyed volunteering for the Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation, the SBCC Foundation, and was also very active in the Maritime Museum. Betty was very proud to serve as the first woman to chair the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury.
A very fond memory for many will be the legendary parties Betty and Ed threw the weekend after Thanksgiving where smoked turkey & fine wine were followed by epic all inclusive sing-along’s. Betty was sure to press her hostess privileges and always got a version of “Sloop John B” rendered by the happy crowd.
Betty will be fondly remembered as a loving mother, a loyal and trustworthy friend, a champion of fairness and compassion and especially for her sunny and positive disposition. She is survived by her four children and their spouses; Judy, Rick (Jackie), Gary (Sue), Dave (Annie) and her six grandchildren; Katie, Will, Danny, Sam, Ben and Carly. The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude and admiration to Nona, Bessie, Beth and Maria at Danelle’s Home who cared for her so lovingly in her later days and to Joel Brandt M.D., her family doctor. A party to celebrate her will be held at the Yacht Club from 4 to 7 pm on Saturday, June 26, Please R.S.V.P. to judyweisman@cox.net.