Miye Ota, a beloved member of the Goleta community, passed away peacefully on Sept. 15, 2024, at the age of 106.
Born Miye Tachihara in 1918, in Guadalupe, California, Miye experienced the hardships of World War II when she and her family were interned in a Japanese American concentration camp.
It was there that she met her future husband, Ken Ota. After their release, they settled in Goleta and built a life together marked by entrepreneurship and community involvement.
Miye built — brick-by-brick — and opened her own beauty salon, with regulars that included socialites and influential people with deep roots in Santa Barbara history.
She was also a founding member of the Goleta Chamber of Commerce and was later recognized as Goleta’s Finest Woman of the Year for her contributions.
Miye and Ken were avid ballroom dancers, competing and performing together. They taught ballroom dance and etiquette at the studio they built attached to their home, known as the Goleta Cultural School on Magnolia Avenue in Old Town Goleta. This beloved institution provided a space for children and adults to learn the art of dance and develop important social skills.
The Otas were also dedicated practitioners of Aikido and Judo, running a dojo in Goleta alongside their son Steve Ota. When Ken died in 2015, Steve continued their legacy of teaching martial arts and sharing his passion for the discipline until he passed away in 2020, with Miye by his side.
In May 2023, parts of Miye’s life story were part of an exhibit that showcased Asian American & Pacific Islander families from the area, presented by the Santa Barbara County Genealogical Society.
Miye was grateful to be included in the event, enjoying a bit of celebrity, and maintained a positive attitude throughout the remaining days of her life.
For those interested in sharing stories and giving thanks for the impact Miye and her family had on their lives, a gathering is being planned for Nov. 17 at Tucker’s Grove Park. Details can be found on the Facebook event listing here.