Nebhut “Neb” Lowe Smith Jr.
Nebhut Lowe Smith Junior, known as Neb among friends and family, died peacefully at his home in Santa Barbara on March 10, 2021, age 75, of leukemia. Born to Nebhut and Margaret Smith on June 7, 1945 in Beverly Hills, Neb grew up in the communities of Mar Vista and Rossmoor where he surfed and swam the days of his youth away, often with his brother Tommy in tow.
He arrived in Santa Barbara as a freshman at UCSB where he was assigned to roommate with Phillip Smith who has been his best friend from then onward. Neb and Phil became pledge brothers at Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and left their mark on Isla Vista in the ’60s. Neb ultimately went on to earn his MBA from Cal State Long Beach and a landed a job as an Accounting Systems Specialist for the County of Santa Barbara. That assignment didn’t last long as a government job didn’t jive well with his hippie spirit, and they wouldn’t let him wear Birkenstocks to work, so he became a property manager and one of Santa Barbara’s coolest landlords.
Neb’s passion for living life to the fullest was contagious to all around him, and he was a true free spirit. His answer to most questions was “No problem” and Neb maintained a peaceful vibe in work and play. Neb was a hands-on single father for his only child, sharing his love of nature as he often took Lorelei sailing, skiing and camping. Traveling to Hawaii, Thailand and the Philippines, Neb scuba dove in some of the most beautiful places around the world. Neb valued experiencing the food, the people, and the music wherever he travelled.
Neb always knew which local band was playing where. He leaves behind several dance trophies his long legs and fancy feet earned him. Right up until he was diagnosed with leukemia, Neb was a regular at Gold’s Gym taking daily classes from his favorite instructors. He was doing yoga before it was mainstream. Often in the middle of some DIY home or yard project, Neb considered Crocs an appropriate closed-toe shoe for any job site.
Neb married Raveewan “Wan” Livesley in 2000 and they remained inseparable until the end as she lovingly nursed him through his brief hospice care. Together they took more than 15 trips to Thailand and visited dozens of US National Parks. They were avid supporters of local arts, regularly participating in First Thursday and attended performances at all the local high schools. You might have known Neb from the Santa Barbara Ski Club in the ’80s, or as a volunteer with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the early 2000s. More recently, he was an active member of the Santa Barbara Horticultural Society.
Neb is survived by his wife Raveewan, his brother Tom, his daughter Lorelei, son in-law Shawn, grandsons Tyler and Gavin, his step-sons Kip and Tony Livesley and step-granddaughters Mali and Leila, and his extended family in Oregon.