Jonny D. Wallis

Jonny D. Wallis, born in Bakersfield, California, on April 14, 1946, died at her Goleta home of 45 years on November 3, 2013. Jonny departed life as she lived it—with steady courage and determination.

Jonny graduated from Mission Central Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo. She attended Santa Barbara City College and graduated from UCSB with degrees in English and political science. She completed her law degree at Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles and was admitted to the practice of law in California in 1980.

A founding member of GoletaNow! and a proponent of cityhood for Goleta, she was elected to the first city council in 2001 and re-elected in 2004. She served as mayor in 2006. From 2009 to 2013 she served on the Goleta City Planning Commission.

Prior to her work on cityhood, she chaired the Goleta Old Town Project Area Committee, encouraging all segments of the community to participate in the development of the Old Town revitalization plan.

Other public service included the County of Santa Barbara Park Commission, the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, and BEACON. She was named Goleta Woman of the Year in 2001.

She is survived by her spouse, Catherine E. Bednar; her niece Leslie J. Stephens of Goleta; her nephew David L. Stephens of Atlanta, Georgia; and their families.

No services are planned. Donations in her memory may be made to Direct Relief International, 27 South La Patera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (www.directrelief.org) or to K-9 PALS, P.O. Box 60755, Santa Barbara, CA 93160-0755 (www.k-9pals.org).