Ethel Mae Byers passed away peacefully on the morning of May 22, 2024, at the age of 83.

Ethel was born on April 2, 1941 to Verva and Bill Heacock at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara.

She grew up on the west side of Santa Barbara with two younger sisters. She graduated in 1959 from Santa Barbara High School and was always a Don.

Ethel was married to Dale Byers on March 2, 1962 at the church at Westmont College, and together they raised three children.

Ethel was passionate about animals and sports, especially high school tennis. She loved riding her horse as a young lady, enjoyed running and couldn’t get enough of playing tennis.

Her tireless volunteer work in the athletic community garnered her praises from athletes, community leaders, parents and colleagues.

Organizations like Santa Barbara Athletic Association, Tennis Patrons, United States Tennis Association, UCSB Tennis, Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table and various running clubs all benefitted from her attention to detail and leaving nothing to chance.

Ethel was also a devote Christian, who always walked the walk. She was a part of many choirs at numerous churches throughout her life. Music, especially gospel music, was so important to her and she always brought joy to those who heard her sing.

The love she had for the church and music flowed into every part of her life. Ethel was a relentless giver, and would always make time for friends and family, especially in times of need.

Ethel was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her husband Dale; sisters Anna Pearson and Wilma Sailing. She is also survived by her daughters Rikki Byers and spouse John, Andrea Staples and spouse Paul; son Dan Byers and spouse Jeanine; and grandchildren Shane, Devon and Dylan.

Ethel was one of kind, a great friend, a caring wife, a loving mom and will be missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of life will be held 2-5 p.m. June 20 at the Santa Barbara Tennis Club. Carpooling is encouraged. Please RSVP using this website.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons or the Santa Barbara Humane Society at https://sbtennispatrons.com/ or https://sbhumane.org/.