Steve Hyslop
George Stephen (Steve) Hyslop, a loving husband, dedicated father, adoring grandfather and pillar of Santa Barbara hospitality, passed away on March 31, 2025. He passed peacefully in his sleep after a long battle with Multiple System Atrophy. He is survived by his wife, Karen; his two daughters, Nicole and Lindsey; his son-in-law, Robby; his two grandchildren, Cameron and Morgan; his sister, Claudia; and his nephews, México and Dakotah.
Born and raised in La Jolla, California, to Charles (Pete) and Constance (Connie) Hyslop, Steve was one of five children. Early on, Steve showed a penchant for athletics. In his words, “If you could walk and chew gum at the same time, you played basketball, baseball and football in La Jolla” – and so, he did just that, throughout high school.
Steve graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Forestry and went on to work for Masonite Corp. in Northern California. After a year in the woods, he opted to pursue his father’s career path as a medical professional, relocating to Santa Barbara to prepare for his MCAT at UCSB. It was here, working at Chuck’s of Hawaii as a dishwasher, that Steve found his true passion: hospitality. Steve became a manager at Chuck’s, ultimately partnering with owner Larry Stone to lead The Ballard Inn and Café Chardonnay, and open The Endless Summer Bar-Café and Chuck’s Waterfront Grill.
It was also at UCSB where Steve met his future wife, Karen. When the two became engaged, Connie and Pete could not believe their son’s luck, telling the happy couple they were “tickled pink!” by the news. The two wed in 1983 in Ballard, CA. Karen was the love of Steve’s life. Together, they shared 42 happy years of marriage, and two daughters.
Steve’s commitment to the community was unwavering. He served on the board at the Page Youth Center, was awarded the 2014 Small Businessman of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce, served as the President for the Greater Santa Barbara Lodging & Restaurant Association and was awarded Hospitality Star of the Year in 2015.
Perhaps his greatest philanthropic achievement, though, was coaching his young daughters’ basketball and soccer teams. He brushed up on John Wooden’s philosophy and read Soccer for Dummies into the wee hours of the morning!
Some will remember Steve as a PYC basketball coach, with his unique play on a 1:3:1 zone defense (if the terms “gnat” or “bee” mean anything to you, you know it well!) Others may think of him as the The Barflys’ lead singer, a college band of friends in the ‘80s. Many of us will recall his annual performance of Johnny B. Goode with The Tridents and The Ducanes at Fiesta, at the harbor.
But for us, his family, we remember him with honor, with integrity, with grit. He taught us the meaning of sportsmanship every time we were in a huddle or facing a difficult opponent. He showed us how to put family first, supporting our every endeavor even when it meant leaving work with five minutes’ notice to catch an alumni basketball game, or learning how to create the perfect ballerina bun – “with no bumps, dad!” And above all, he taught us what unconditional love looked like, and for that, we are eternally grateful. Steve loved his family, he loved this community, and he put all of it above himself.
The family will hold a private celebration of life.
