Sandy Whittington, 51, of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on Jan. 18, 2012, after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. At her Serenity House bedside were family members and close friends.
In October 1960, Whittington was born in El Paso, Texas, the youngest daughter of Buddy and Jean Whittington. She started school in Anthony, N.M.
When she and her mother moved to Pinetop, Ariz., Whittington attended high school. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, earning a degree in interior design and membership in the American Society of Interior Designers, she moved to Phoenix. In the late 1980s, she and her husband, Jay, relocated to Santa Barbara, where she worked at Garrett’s Furniture and Jordano’s Marketplace.
Many Saturday mornings found Whittington exercising and talking to dogs at the Santa Barbara Humane Society. Her beloved English bulldog, Brit, basked in her passion for animals.
Whittington covered hundreds of miles on her bike and kayaked for hours with treasured friends. With others, she shared her enthusiasm for art and design. We may never know the number of people whose lives were touched by Whittington’s gentle charm, endearing laugh and genuine compassion, many of whom were friends for life.
Whittington is preceded in death by her father, Howard (Buddy) Whittington, and her mother, Jean Whittington. She is survived by her husband, Jay Harris of Santa Barbara; her sisters, Carol (C.J.) Edmonds and husband Bob of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., and Julie Duncan and husband Kerry of Oxford, Ga.; niece Lauren Duncan of Covington, La.; nephew Matt Duncan of Atlanta; cousins Meg Bergquist of Austin, Texas, and Robert Gilbert of El Paso; and many, many dear, close friends who can testify to the magnitude of Whittington’s heart.
To the Santa Barbara community, the family wishes to express profound gratitude for its outpouring of affection for Whittington and to Salon Patine and L’Oreal Hair Centric for their generous support. A special thanks goes to Trinity Episcopal Church.
As per her request, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Santa Barbara Humane Society, 5399 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2093, or to Serenity House, 930 Miramonte Drive, Santa Barbara, CA 93105-4435. Arrangements by McDermott-Crockett Mortuary.
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