Jean Gerard Spaulding
Jean Gerard Spaulding (Jacobson), 69, passed away peacefully in her sleep from complications of kidney cancer on the morning of October 8, 2017. She was born February 23, 1948 to parents Charles “Chuck” and Dorothy Jacobson (Gerard) in Santa Maria, CA, moving to Santa Barbara shortly afterward. Jean attended San Marcos High School, graduating in 1966, and remained in Santa Barbara. She met her husband, the late Gene Spaulding (May 1, 2017), during the summer of 1967 while vacationing on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. The couple returned to the island of Oahu a year later for their wedding. Jean was an avid lover of animals, especially horses, spending much of her time caring for, showing, and teaching her two sons to love and appreciate the joys of raising animals and the equestrian lifestyle. Childhood friends have said that Jean was competing in hunter/jumper horse shows around the same time that she learned to walk. She was a fireball of extrovert energy and spent her early married life as a busy homemaker, raising her boys along with a practical farm of horses, Labrador retrievers, and cats. Jean’s radiant personality made her the life of the party and she had a unique gift for both making people feel comfortable and for organizing extravagant gatherings. She put her talents to work as founder and co-owner of Santa Barbara Elegant Events, a boutique high-end catering and event production company, where she had the privilege of working with many of the Central Coast’s most celebrated residents to plan unforgettable events. Her family and friends also hosted an annual Halloween event at her home in Hope Ranch that became something of a local legend. In more recent years and until the spread of her cancer prevented her from walking, Jean enjoyed the simple pleasures of caring for her horses—sometimes walking them inside the house. She was a music lover, regularly ‘rocking out’ to her favorite ‘tunes’ while seeming to move in several directions near the speed of light and taking little time for herself. Jean would often say, “I gotta fly!” as she ‘flew’ around town with a long list of errands. She put the needs of others and her animals first. Jean is survived by four of her horses, her dog, cat, sons Charles and Brad, and her five-year-old grandson, Tyler.
Jean will long be remembered for her feisty personality, her extraordinary generosity, and for the many miracles she made possible to help others’ dreams come true.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Jean’s best friend Marcia DeVaux for all her love and support. Also, to her niece Lisa Schilling-Bates and nephew Blair Schilling whom she adored and considered children of her own after losing her sister, Barbara, in 2012. The family plans a private memorial service. A Celebration of Jean’s Life will be held on Saturday, November 11 from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at Goleta’s Beachside Restaurant. For more information and to confirm attendance, please reach out to Charles Spaulding via email at SpauldingFamilySB@gmail.com.