Mary Ann Bittle
Mary Ann Bittle passed away unexpectedly on February 2, 2022. Mary Ann was born on April 11, 1954 in Santa Barbara, CA to Hilding and Mary Elizabeth Hatland. Mary Ann attended Monroe Elementary, La Cumbre Junior High, and Bishop Diego High Schools. She married her high school sweetheart in April of 1973 and moved to Bakersfield where she gave birth to her three children, Eric, Greg, and Elizabeth.
In 1990, Mary Ann returned to Santa Barbara with her children and went back to school. She attended SBCC and transferred to UCSB where she graduated with her B.A. in English Literature in 1995. After graduation, Mary Ann got a job at Tri-Counties Blood Bank. She loved the life saving work she did and used her dynamic personality to build upon the strong relationships she had throughout the community.
In May of 2015, Mary Ann married her long time partner and best friend, James Depew, and began a new chapter full of love, travel, and adventures with her newfound extended family and friends.
Over the years, Mary Ann had many pets that she adored and that adored her, most notably the Pals, Paragon, Millie, Manny, and Olivia. She loved all animals and could never pass by a dog without stopping to say hello. The only thing that might rival her love of animals, was her love of sports, especially the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mary Ann was a kind, caring, and generous person with a heart of gold. To know her was to love her. She brought warmth and light to every situation. Anybody who enjoyed her cooking or baking could probably taste the love she poured into it, too.
She instilled in her children the importance of being honest, hardworking, and, most of all, kind hearted. To Mary Ann, in addition to lovingly caring for her aging parents, successfully raising her children to be good human beings was her most important accomplishment. Her legacy will live on for generations to come.
Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Hilding and Mary Elizabeth Hatland. She is survived by her husband, James Depew; brother, George Hatland (Teresa); sons, Eric Bittle (Minda) and Greg Bittle (Zuzet), and daughter, Elizabeth Nees (David); grandchildren Charlie and Maria Bittle, Dalton and Haaken Bittle, and Madeline Nees.
A memorial service was held in Mary Ann’s honor on Friday, February 11th at Godric Grove in Elings Park at 11:30am. A private burial will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.