Sherilyn Celeste Scranton

Sherilyn Scranton, international model, clothing designer and artist – and a native of Santa Barbara – was born in Cottage Hospital November 10, 1954 and passed away in Cottage Hospital on June 21, 2017 after a brief bout with lung cancer. She was 62 years old.

Sherilyn grew up in the Montecito/Miramar Beach area and was one of a number of teenaged girls who raced their horses down Old Coast Highway from Olive Mill to Hot Springs on the sand that had been prepped for paving, as it was being developed into the Coast Village Road of today. The next morning the road crew must have wondered what on earth had happened to their smooth surface work.

Sherilyn often spoke of her love of this beautiful community and reminded us all of the “joie de vivre and Bohemian quality” she felt fortunate to be able to participate in. She was a member of “The Scorpio Club,” which Pearl Chase had created for Scorpio women to meet, exchange ideas and put on charitable and cultural events.

Sherilyn met her husband, Sam Scranton, in 1975, and they married in Nantucket, Massachussetts in 1986 on Flag Day. An accomplished seamstress, she designed and created Sam’s stage attire during his career as a musical performer. Sherilyn was known to the Santa Barbara community for her fundraising and artistic work, which she did in collaboration with her husband in renovating the Santa Barbara Bowl.

When Sam returned to assume the position of Executive Director of the Bowl in 1991, Sherilyn hosted and contributed to many of the fundraising activities, holiday parties for Board and staff, and other events which led to the Santa Barbara Bowl being a world-class facility such as it is today. Sherilyn also designed and created the Bowl logo used exclusively throughout the 1990s. In recent years, Sherilyn had returned to her personal artistic pursuits as a painter.

She leaves her husband of 31 years, Sam Scranton; her step-father Edwin Starr Phenix; her half-brothers Donald Phenix and Dudley Phenix and their families. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marvel Montee and Robert Almond Gilcrest.

Sherilyn was deeply appreciative of the fine and loving work of her doctors and the staff of Cottage Hospital. In honor of her wishes, there will be no services. Donations in her memory can be made to Planned Parenthood.