William Santoro, MD

William Santoro, MD was born in Chicago on June 11, 1932 and passed away peacefully in Santa Barbara on August 21, 2024, surrounded by loved ones.

Both of his parents, Anthony and Florence, were also physicians. Collectively the Drs. Santoro contributed a combined total of nearly 150 years of general medical, obstetrical, and psychiatric care to hundreds of patients.

William Santo was a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Ottawa Medical School. He took his psychiatric training at the University of Illinois in Chicago and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was on the Emeritus Medical staff. He also had a Masters Degree in American Literature from Columbia University in New York City.

William spent more than 25 years in the practice of psychiatry in Beverly Hills, and more than 15 years, practicing psychiatry in Santa Barbara, where he served as a team psychiatrist for the County of Santa Barbara, Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Department, now called Behavioral Wellness.

Dr. Santoro is survived by many loving family members and friends, and by scores of patients whose illness he saw to alleviate to the fullest extent of his abilities. He will be missed, not only by family and friends, but by these many appreciative patients as well.

A funeral Mass will be said at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church on June 4, 2025 at the 7:45 am daily Mass. Internment was private. Donations may be sent to the Mental Wellness Center or Transitions Mental Health Association to help provide affordable housing and job to those patients about whom Dr. Santoro cared the most.