Anne Pomeroy Compogiannis
Kathrine Anne Pomeroy entered the world on May 18, 1931 in Los Angeles, Ca. She joined her three year old sister Jean, (seven years later her brother James came along), in a big beautiful house her parents had built in East Pasadena. Her parents, Harold Manning Pomeroy (b. 1898), and Leona Amy Peterson (b. 1900) had both migrated from Indiana, and Illinois respectively with their families in the nineteen teens. They both lived in Los Angeles (Harold working for his “Uncle Mac” in an electric supply business, and Leona attending UCLA, and becoming a Physical Education teacher). They eventually met, and in 1926 married.
Growing up in Pasadena, Anne (she was called by her middle name the rest of her life) and her sister Jean would often go to the nearby Santa Anita race track to take riding lessons. It was while there in 1941 that she saw the temporary internment of Japanese Americans, as they were rounded up and eventually sent to internment camps farther from the coast. During this war period Anne was in charge of collecting newspapers for her jr. high school for recycling, and worked in the family’s garden raising much of their own produce.
In Grammar school Anne became friends with her life-long best friend Virginia Ballou (Later, Woolley). Virginia’s family lived in the neighborhood, making it easy for the two girls to get together. During their teen years the two spent several weeks during the summer at the beach, usually Corona del Mar and Newport with family. Anne was a strong swimmer, and once, to show a boy she could do it, swam completely around Balboa Island. During the war years Anne and “Ginny” would take the bus to the Green Hotel in downtown Pasadena, to help fold bandages for the troops.
For her high school years Anne followed her older sister, Jean, and attended Bishops an all- girl (at the time) college preparatory episcopal boarding school in La Jolla, Ca. Anne was strong in sports. Besides swimming, she excelled in field hockey, and in her life long pursuit of tennis, which she played well into her 60s before knee issues made it to difficult to continue.
Anne and Ginny boarded a train in 1948 that took them to Tucson, Arizona. They had decided to go to the University of Arizona together. Getting off the train in 100 degree heat with their wool suits on was a shock, she remembered the rest of her life :). Anne joined Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and was very active in social events, and intramural sports. It was at the U of A that she met her first husband, Joseph Jordan (b. 1930 in Ohio). Joseph’s grandparents had a ranch outside of Tucson, and Anne was able to continue horseback riding on many weekends. They were married in 1951 at her parents house in Pasadena, and moved to Los Angeles where Joe attended UCLA law school. Anne substitute taught at the Bonner school in Brentwood. In 1957, her daughter, Julie, was born in Santa Monica, and after moving to Santa Barbara her son James came along in 1958. Difficulties in the marriage led to a divorce, and for a couple years Anne lived with her little kids on the Mesa in Santa Barbara.
Mutual friends set her and Stephen Compogiannis (b. 1923 in Sacramento) up and the two married in 1961. The following year their son, Thomas, was born. The family moved to a lovely house they had built in the Park Highlands neighborhood above Tucker’s Grove Park in 1968. Anne was involved in the kids’ school activities, as well as tennis, and bowling leagues. She and Steve were very social with friends, and parties were part of their social agenda, and this included bridge card games which were quite popular then. Steve and Anne eventually were able to travel extensively (Europe, South America, New Zealand, Australia) often with their good friends, Vin and Sally Kinney, Milt and Sally Hill, and Steve’s brother Chris and his sister Helen and her husband John.
Anne kept busy being the Alum President of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority at UCSB, and took pride in keeping the group on track. She also was a volunteer docent at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Anne also took pride in being an interviewer for the Santa Barbara Foundation which gave out college scholarships to worthy applicants.
In 1990 the Painted Cave fire swept down the mountains and burned their house down, creating an unwanted challenge to her and Steve’s lives. However, two years later they moved back into a beautiful rebuilt home. Anne continued to play cards regularly, even into her early 90s when she and a few lady friends would get together once a month to play bridge and/or rummy. Eventually, Anne was the last one able to drive, and would pick some of the others up and chauffeur them all to Stella Mar, the restaurant they had lunch at and played their card games.
Family get-togethers were always a highlight for Anne. She was often the hostess for holiday gatherings, preparing large meals, and overseeing the course of events. She loved seeing her children and grandchildren, and hearing about their lives. In February of 2024 Anne moved down to a senior living facility in San Marcos, Ca just 15 minutes from her son Tom and his family. After 66 years in Santa Barbara (55 of them at her beautiful house in Park Highlands) it wasn’t an easy decision, but she was able to see family more often. Within a year however, Anne’s health deteriorated.
Anne passed away overnight on April 2nd 2025, after a life well lived. Her final resting place will be next to her husband Steve at the beautiful Santa Barbara Cemetery overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Anne is survived by her daughter Julie (Howard), son Jim (Bonita), son Tom (Robyn), four grandchildren, two great grandchildren, two nieces, two nephews, and her sister-in-law Helen.
