Erin Therese Graffy de Garcia, Santa Barbara’s “Society Lady,” passed away early in the morning on January 21, 2025, from ovarian cancer.
Erin was an entertainer, publisher, researcher, dancer, singer, writer, historian, smuggler, advisor, teacher, wife, sister, daughter, entrepreneur, speaker, auctioneer, fundraiser and fun-raiser, and had the best hat for any occasion.
Far from her warm, sunny town of Santa Barbara, Erin was born on a 15-degree snowy day on a February 24 in Wichita, Kansas. As for the birth year, Erin would simply tell you, “It was a good one.” (She never divulged her age.)
Welcoming Erin into the world were her parents, Charles and Jeanne Graffy, and her brothers, Kurt and Neal. Not long after her birth, her father, a test pilot for Boeing Aircraft Co., was hired by General Electric and the family moved to Scotia, New York, where the next sibling, Colleen, was born. A top-secret testing program with General Electric resulted in the family relocating to Santa Barbara where the fifth child, Kerry, was later born. It was during the Graffys’ first summer in Santa Barbara that Erin discovered Fiesta. As a member of Mrs. Liam O’Sullivan’s Children’s Strolling Chorus, she learned and sang the Spanish songs of old California and wore her first Fiesta dress. The songs, dances, and pageantry would soon become part of her DNA.
Erin’s education began at Marymount School, then an all-girls institution. When Marymount closed its high school, she completed her senior year at Santa Barbara High School. During these years, Erin studied dance with Jose Manero, took voice training from Mrs. Lura Dolas, and dove into Youth Theater Productions with Director Jack Nakano.
Her outstanding singing awarded her a full scholarship to Pepperdine University — the first voice scholarship given. She next entered Occidental College for a program in orchestra conducting and then returned to Pepperdine for a master’s in marketing and communications, graduating magna cum laude.
During her time at Pepperdine, she had the opportunity to visit Russia. Taking advantage of that circumstance, she smuggled Bibles, leaving them with Christians she met or dropping them in interesting locations. Erin figured, “If a non-Christian found it, they’ll sell it on the black market. So, one way or the other, it will get into the right hands.” Many years later, emboldened by that successful contraband run, she left Ireland and entered the U.S. with several undocumented salmon. That’s all you need to know.
In 1986, she founded Erin Graffy Associates, a marketing communications consultancy. Through her seminars, workshops, and personal consultations, she worked with more than 1,200 local and international businesses.
Erin wrote more than 100 books and articles on regional history and culture, including the popular How to Santa Barbara series; Saint Barbara: The Truth, Tales, Tidbits & Trivia of Santa Barbara’s Patron Saint; Remembering Jordanos; and a coffee-table book on the Santa Barbara Yacht Club. She reviewed for the California Historical Society, served for 10 years as editor of La Gazeta for the Mission Archive Library, and lectured extensively on California’s Rancho Period. Her book Old Spanish Days: Santa Barbara History Through Public Art was the recipient of three national book awards. As a Southern California historian, she was featured in several documentaries, including the Emmy Award–winning documentary Impressions in Time, and was featured as a California historian in the 2015 Pasadena Rose Parade.
As part of her literary endeavors, she started her own publishing company, Kieran Publishing, where she advised, co-wrote, and ghost-wrote with a number of authors to get their dream books completed and printed.
Turning to her own half-Irish family history, she worked to promote Dingle, Ireland, as a Sister City of Santa Barbara. Sensing a bit of reluctance from City Council members, in true Erin fashion, she brought the Dingle delegation — including several charming little red-haired Irish dancers — into the Council chambers to give it their all. After that, the Council simply could not say no in front of the little lasses.
Ozzie Da Ros, noted local Italian stonemason, had long proclaimed that the surname “Graffy” was not German, but Italian. Perhaps this is what led Erin to research and publish the history of Santa Barbara’s early Italian immigrants, resulting in the Italian American Boot Club bestowing Erin with honorary membership.
Erin truly loved three things: dancing; her husband, Jim; and chocolate. Of all the multitude of things Erin was involved in, she loved dancing the most. And it was dancing that introduced her to the smooth steps of Dr. James Paul Garcia. They met at a dance at the Bank of Montecito and a spark was ignited. All it took was one more chance meeting, and they danced together for the next 35 years.
Erin’s passion for singing, dancing, and history fueled her contributions to Old Spanish Days, where she served as an advisor, Board of Directors member, and Official Fiesta Historian. With her husband, Jim, she created Flor y Canto Californio, a special show for Fiesta at the Courthouse with live musicians, singers, and dancers performing, as Erin would say, “The Greatest Hits of 1836.” Erin provided historical narration to explain the customs and traditions of that Rancho era, the roots of Old Spanish Days.
Erin’s Society Lady column was a must-read in the TKSanta Barbara News-Press, covering the who’s who of local organizations and their events. Her columns were also in the Montecito Journal, the Santa Barbara Independent, and Noozhawk. Erin was a sought-after emcee and auctioneer, often handling those roles in addition to covering the event. Erin was also in great demand for her ability to parody songs for tributes and roasts of Santa Barbara locals. She was known for her gracious introductions, especially for newcomers to the community.
Along with former Sheriff Jim Thomas, Erin launched the Sheriff’s Council, which has raised millions of dollars for much-needed equipment for local law enforcement. She was instrumental in raising $5 million to establish the Father Virgil Cordano Chair in Catholic Studies at UCSB. In 2017, Erin and her husband, Jim, were honored as Community Stars for their work and devotion to the Santa Barbara community by Catholic Charities at their Mistletoe Ball.
Erin eschewed coffee, carbonated drinks, and alcohol. However, there was chocolate. Her love for chocolate was so widely known that no matter the occasion, the venue, or what was stated on the menu, when it came to that certain delicacy following dinner, the hosts and staff ensured that Erin somehow would get chocolate. As she explained, “If it’s not chocolate, it’s not dessert.”
The Independent’s Nick Welsh summed up the loss to the community: “Erin was such a force of nature, delight, wit, caring, and smarts that it is impossible to imagine her not being here. Santa Barbara will be a duller, stupider, flatter place. Its fun IQ just dropped one billion points.”
Erin is survived by her husband, Dr. Jim Garcia; her brothers, Kurt (Cathay) and Neal (Veronica); sisters, Colleen and Kerry Mariea (Fred); and nieces and nephews, Colette, Colin, Kyle, Kirsten, Sarah, Olivia, and Spencer. She is predeceased by her father, Charles R. Graffy, and her mother, Jeanne Graffy, former Santa Barbara City Councilmember and County Supervisor.
A Memorial Mass will be held at the Old Mission Santa Barbara at 2 p.m., Friday, February 28, followed by a reception, “The Erin Graffy Chocolate Finale,” at Rockwood, the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club.
In lieu of flowers or chocolate, the Erin Graffy de Garcia Legacy Endowment has been established to ensure that Santa Barbara is not a “duller, stupider, flatter place” by promoting all things Santa Barbara, including, dance, music, history, and Fiesta in association with the Profant Foundation. Zelle contributions can be made via eringraffylegacy@gmail.com. Those interested in being part of the Founders’ Circle may email Colleen Graffy at the same address.
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