Kati Zeller Buehler

Kati Buehler, beloved wife, mother, sister, cousin, grandmother, colleague, and warm friend died on Thursday, November 30 at the Helford Hospital (City of Hope, Duarte CA) where she was a stem cell transplant patient. Her courageous decision to proceed with this treatment was a decision for life in the face of her disease (AML). Kati will be remembered for her warm smile, her quick intelligence, her fierce devotion to family, her social conscience, her diligence and work ethic, her beautiful faith, and her great kindness. Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and Detroit, MI, Kati grew up multi-lingual (Spanish, German, English), a facility that expanded her world-view and increased her empathy toward all people. She loved learning and excelled in her scholarship, graduating Summa Cum Laude in Latin American Studies from Mount Holyoke College (1974). Kati’s diverse career included banking (Bankers Trust Company, New York City), and financial planning as an investment advisor (Dean Witter Reynolds, Santa Cruz, CA). Kati quickly established herself as a highly competent and conscientious professional in what, at the time, were male-dominated professions. Moving to Sacramento in 1987, Kati changed directions, earning a Masters Degree in Government from CSU Sacramento. Her subsequent years working with the California Rice industry and the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation deepened her understanding and regard for this most important part of life in this state. Moving to Santa Barbara in 2002, Kati worked briefly in Government Affairs at UCSB, then moved to Westmont College, where, after a short time, she was named Senior Director of Gift Planning. Kati took special joy from the knowledge that the scholarships her donors provided made college possible for wonderful Westmont students, just as she was a scholarship student at Mount Holyoke. Kati retired from Westmont in 2020. She quickly immersed herself in leadership of the Rotary Club of Montecito, becoming its president in July of that year. She particularly valued Rotary’s outstanding international work in peacemaking and polio eradication. Kati adored her two sons, Rudy (Sacramento) and Peter (Santa Barbara), giving of herself in every way possible as a loving mother, confidant, and helper. She loved her daughter-in-law, Sarah, and was devoted to her beautiful grandchildren, Jack and Lucy. Kati leaves behind wonderful siblings: Rudy Zeller of Benicia, CA; Alfred Zeller of Quito, Ecuador; and Eva Sandlin of Westlake, TX. Their spouses, like her nieces and nephews, were dear to her. Kati’s cousins, Rob, Nancy, and John; John, Steve, and Julianne; along with Isabel, Sabina, Vincent, and Irene, were a blessing to her. Kati’s husband, Peter, was and always will be intensely proud of his wife–her accomplishments, her warmth, her friendship, and her constant loving support for the congregations (PCUSA) he served (Santa Cruz, Sacramento, and Santa Barbara). Kati’s Christian faith was beautifully expressed in warm friendship and service to the community. On November 30th, Kati heard the words of her Lord: “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”