Margie Bonazzola

Margie Bonazzola died peacefully at home in Solvang, CA, while watching her church service online on January 22, 2023.  She was born May 25, 1940, at St. Francis Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA, to Elvira and Bill Bonazzola.  Margie attended Lincoln Elementary School and Santa Barbara Junior High, and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1958.  She was active in 4H for almost a decade of her life, and played clarinet with the marching band in junior high and high school.  She attended UCSB for three years, then transferred to UCSF and completed her studies as a dental hygienist.  Margie was employed as a dental hygienist until she retired in 2001, serving in San Francisco and returning to Santa Barbara in 1970 to work for Drs. Don Truex and Jim Subject for over thirty years.

Margie was love in action.  Her faith, her friendships, her career, her hobbies, her interest in the world and everything in it were defined by her love.  She smiled readily and was always the first to laugh.  Margie was a consummate playdate organizer, encouraging those she loved to join her for a good time, whether it be camping, the theater, or trips to Disneyland, Cambria, and San Francisco.  Margie was an experienced traveler, making friends all over the world.  She was a global ambassador of kindness wherever she put her feet.

Margie was supportive of the Santa Barbara Zoo, UCSB Arts and Lectures, and the Santa Barbara Symphony; she was a passionate Lady Gauchos basketball fan.  She was well read and renowned for her ability to converse in depth on just about any subject, putting patients and friends at ease. Margie’s life was guided by generosity of spirit.   She answered the call of community service, volunteering at the Solvang library and her church, and was available to serve wherever there was a need.

Margie was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Verna Isaac.  She is survived by her sister Cherie Bonazzola; her nieces Stephanie Isaac, Renee Mendonsa, Stacey Isaac, and her nephew Scott Isaac; many beloved great-nieces and -nephews; her lifelong friends of 75 years, CC Cavaletto Villines and Margaret Murphy; and a world of friends who carry on her legacy.

Memorial services will be held Saturday, March 11, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church, 1825 Alamo Pintado Road in Solvang.  Memorial donations may be made to Direct Relief International or the Wounded Warrior Project.  The family would like to thank Home Assisted Care/Hospice Nurses.