Lolita Sara Vignot-Van Beuren
Lolita “Lili” Van Beuren of Santa Barbara, CA passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 30, 2023. She was born in New Rochelle, New York to Dolores (Berea) Van Beuren, originally from La Coruna, Galicia, Spain, daughter of the Spanish Ambassador, and Alfred Vignot-Van Beuren from New Haven, Connecticut. She was the younger sister to Alfred “Alfie” Van Beuren (d. 1990) and Peter Van Beuren. She adored her family, including many very close aunts, uncles and cousins. She had a wonderful childhood in her house that bordered the woods, and fondly remembered tending roses with her father, which she continued to take pleasure in her entire life. Lili graduated from The Ursaline School in New Rochelle, and earned a BA in Economics from Marymount College of New York, a topic she thoroughly enjoyed and put to use working as a stock broker for many years.
Lili was an amazing storyteller, an attentive listener and famous for her memory, and she delighted in recounting family stories, those of her life and those passed down through generations. She loved words, and was smart and funny with an unassuming wit. She had a seemingly endless positivity, always smiling, and loved to laugh, assured that humor would get one through all things. She had a special way of immediately befriending anyone she encountered, whether at a shared table or simply stepping into a shop.
Lili discovered Santa Barbara on a trip with her parents in 1968 and made it her dream to call it home, which she did a couple of years later. Lili’s greatest pride and joy was raising her seven children – Jean-Paul Manoux, Andre N. Manoux, Alfred Manoux, Christine Manoux, Philipe Manoux, Joseph Manoux, and Jacques Manoux – who loved her dearly. She created a charmed childhood for them, full of love and opportunity. She will be remembered for her incredible spirit and generosity, always with an open door, that extended to family, friends, including her children’s friends, and beyond.
Lili was unconditional love personified and will be forever missed by her children, their spouses, her seven grandchildren, and so many who knew her. Her happy places were tied to family: a noisy house filled with her children and a beach in Bermuda – where we imagine her enjoying the eternal sunshine she always deserved.
A service will take place on Friday, July 21, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows Roman Catholic Church, 21 East Sola Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, followed by a private burial.