Freda Markowitz was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Abraham and Rywka Pinski. Freda dedicated more than three decades of service to the city of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department, where she touched countless lives through her work.

She assisted with adult sports programs, coordinating fields for softball and baseball leagues, and was part of the Aquatics Division at both Los Baños Pool and the Cabrillo Bath House assisting with beach volleyball and the annual Summer Junior Lifeguard camps and much more.

Among her many contributions, Freda created the department’s enduring tagline “Enriching People’s Lives.”

Freda embraced life with enthusiasm, curiosity, and a deep appreciation for the natural world. Her passions included swimming, ocean kayaking, collecting sea glass, watercolor painting, playing the ukulele, exploring dances from cultures around the world, riding her beach cruiser along Cabrillo Boulevard, exploring the coast and mountains, gardening, traveling, and giving back to her community.

She loved history, especially local history, and was an enthusiastic participant in the Then & Now Facebook community, where she enjoyed learning about and sharing stories of Santa Barbara’s past.

Above all, she cherished her family and cultivated a wide and eclectic circle of friends whom she loved dearly.

Freda passed away peacefully on June 14, 2026, at Serenity House, after being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer several months earlier.

She is survived by her spouse Steven; son Elliot; brother Zelig; and sisters, Celia and Toby.

Freda is also survived by her cherished nieces and nephews, extended family members, and many dear friends whose lives she touched with her warmth, kindness, generosity, and adventurous spirit.

Freda will be remembered for her dedication to public service, creativity, love of family and friends, and her ability to bring people together.

Her legacy lives on in the community she served, the lives she enriched, and the many memories she leaves behind.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Freda’s memory may be made to Serenity House through VNA Health.