William S. “Bill” Burtness was born in Santa Barbara on Dec. 14, 1932 to Dr. Hildahl and Luella Burtness, and was raised here.
During his youth, activities included the YMCA Indian Guides (a father and son program), and the Boy Scouts of America, where he was a member of Troop 16 at what was then called Peabody Elementary School.
He also attended the same school, as well as La Cumbre Junior High School and Santa Barbara High School before graduating with California Scholastic Federation Seal Bearer honors from the latter in 1950.
Bill then attended Stanford University, and graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1954. During his undergraduate years there, he was a member of the Delta Chi fraternity, along with his brother George.
This achievement was followed by three years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force, where he became a pilot and was qualified to fly half a dozen single- and multi-engine aircraft. A training flight to Santa Barbara around 1956 was as the command pilot in a B-25 medium bomber from Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma. He was also stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
While this career was an exciting one for him, and the Air Force offered him the opportunity to transition Into jet aircraft, he elected to return to civilian life in 1958, and attended the Stanford Business School as a member of the same class with brother George. Both graduated in 1960 with masters degrees in business administration.
Bill then began a 30-year career with the Security Pacific National Bank in Los Angeles and rose to become vice-president of the Beverly Hills branch before returning to Santa Barbara and purchasing a home here.
Besides his service in the Air Force, he participated on several fishing trips to the eastern Sierras with his father and Dr. William Sansum during the early days of the Sansum Clinic in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
During additional adventures, Bill joined his father and George, and occasionally other relatives, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho.
If such activities were not enough, he also participated on about 25 annual trips with the Stanford Travel Study Program to destinations in Europe and Asia, including China.
One unique experience occurred on a trip with his father, mother, and brother George to Mexico City. They were staying in a high-rise hotel that suddenly swayed back and forth during an earthquake. One never forgets such moments.
Bill was also a long time active member of both the Santa Barbara Club and the Santa Barbara Corral of the Westerners, the latter for which he was the treasurer for many years. In addition, he served a two-year term as the sheriff.
In later years, he became a member and supporter of the Commemorative Air Force, which owns and maintains a large fleet of vintage aircraft, most from the World War II era.
Further, he was a board member of the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, Direct Relief International, and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum. He was a long-time supporter of the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Cottage Health System.
A family graveside service was held at the Santa Barbara Cemetery last month, as well as a celebration of his life at the Santa Barbara Club more recently.
Surviving family members include his brothers George and Bob (both of Santa Barbara); nieces Laura Burtness of Moss Beach, California and Shenandoah Marr of Spokane, Washington; as well as cousins Peter Burtness of Montecito, Matt Burtness of Santa Margarita, Christopher Burtness of Paso Robles, Jeremy and Nathan Burtness of Ramona, and Will Burtness and Georgette Burtness of Arizona.
Donations in Bill’s memory may be made to any of the organizations listed above.