Ann Kwarcinksi, our devoted wife, mother and friend, went home to the Lord on March 16, 2026.

Anna Margaret Kwarcinski (Lordahl) was born a twin Feb. 7, 1943, in Pennsylvania to Austin and Margaret Lordahl. Her twin brother Andrew did not survive past infancy, but many believe the loss of her brother helped create a strength to live a full life and lit a dynamic spark within.

At the age of 3 her younger brother, Kieran, was born. Ann and Kieran were lifelong confidantes until he preceded her in death in 2008. The Lordahl family moved from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin when Ann was a young girl. A true Midwesterner at heart, Ann’s ability to care for others and her desire for independence led her to nursing school. After finishing an accelerated program, hospital jobs took her to Milwaukee.

It was there, on a double blind date with a close girlfriend, that Ann met the young engineer LeRoy Kwarcinski. The two young professionals dated, fell in love, and took the plunge for what would become a 58-year marriage.

Moving to Long Island for Lee’s work, their first child, Lynn, was born before Delco Electronics transferred the new family to Houston for the Apollo missions. This was also a brief stay before landing in what would become their forever home in Goleta, California.

Ann and Lee put down roots, buying a home and adding two more children to their brood: Glenn and Gail. Ann continued working, her tenure being at Goleta Valley Community Hospital in the Emergency Department for over 20 years. She cherished her ER family and built many lifelong relationships with coworkers. Ann felt the ER was her home away from home and would comment that it was her respite from her children. Her immense love for that hospital led her to spearhead the coalition to keep the hospital open when threatened with closure in the early 2000s.

Because of Ann’s love for Goleta, as well as her fierce determination, she championed many community causes. In addition to the drive to keep Goleta Valley Community Hospital open, she also campaigned for Goleta cityhood and was one of the founding members of COM-SAV DP. The group of warriors fought and won to keep Dos Pueblos High School open in 1990, for which all her kids (and countless others) are thankful DP alumni. Her passion, loyalty, ability to organize, and her amazing advocacy skills led her to be named Goleta Woman of the Year in 2003, an honor that Ann coveted as a proud Goletan.

These causes showcased her tenacity. Ann was a force to be reckoned with. Never one to sit in the back or stay quiet, she worked tirelessly for causes she believed in. As quoted by her own grandkids when they were young, “Grandma K don’t take crap from anyone.”

She was a true caretaker to the end. Always up for coffee, a pedicure, or just a chat, Ann valued lunching with her lady friends. Ann’s legacy is her unwavering loyalty to her husband, Lee, her pride in the strong families her three children created (along with eight grandchildren), as well as her love for dear friends near and far.

She is survived by her husband, Lee; eldest daughter Lynn and husband James DeVaughn; son Glenn and Susan Kwarcinksi; youngest daughter Gail and Shaun Beaudette; and her beloved grandchildren Matthew, twins Meghan & Jacob, Melina Kai, Mason, Asher, Anson, and Abbot. They will all miss her dearly, but seek solace in knowing she’s now with friends and family members who passed before her.