Sofia “Rusty” Rusnarczyk Meznarich

Sofia “Rusty” Rusnarczyk Meznarich of Santa Barbara passed peacefully on March 4, 2025, at the age of 101, surrounded by family who (for once) were all in the same place at the same time.

She was predeceased by her husband, John Meznarich, the love of her life and the only man who could keep up with her. Also waiting for her on the other side are her sister and brother-in-law, Alice and Bob; her brother and sister-in-law, Gene and Carol; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Ed and Helen and her nephew Tod.

Rusty leaves behind her five children, who somehow all survived a childhood of station wagon road trips and questionable campfire meals: Donna Hajash (Andy) of College Station, TX; Cliff Meznarich of Paso Robles; Scott Meznarich (Renee) of Paso Robles; Jeff Meznarich (Alex) of Las Vegas; and Russ Meznarich (Chris) of Paso Robles. She was Busia (Grandmother) to 12 grandchildren (Tanya, Connor, Courtney, John, Jordan, Brett, Bryce, Kate, Jack, Drake, Elijah, and Skye) and three great-grandchildren (Kelsey, Blake, and Kinley), all of whom inherited at least a little of her stubbornness, humor, and love for a good adventure. She is also survived by many cherished nieces and nephews.

Born on September 27, 1923, in Chicago, IL, to Polish immigrant parents, Rusty was tough as nails from the start. She attended Froebel Primary School and Harrison High School, but her real education came when she enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in Goleta, California, from 1944 to 1946, where she had the time of her life. She loved the Santa Barbara life and dreamed of one day returning.

After the war, she returned to Chicago, reunited with John (her next-door neighbor, who clearly didn’t stand a chance against her charm), and they were married on October 5th, 1946. Together, they opened The Milk Shack, an ice cream parlor that quickly became the hottest social scene in the neighborhood—because if there’s one thing Rusty knew, it was how to bring people together over food. In 1966, the family packed up and moved to Winnetka, CA, in the San Fernando Valley, where they mastered the art of cross-country camping trips, surf-and-fish adventures south of the border, and loading five kids into a car without losing one along the way.

After retiring in 1993, she and John were able to realize their long-time dream of moving to Santa Barbara to live out their golden years in their East Beach Townhome.

Rusty stayed busy with about a million community groups, including:

• American Legion Post 629 (Commander, because of course she was)
• Women Marines Association
• Polish American Cultural Network
• St. Joseph the Worker Altar Society
• Marine Corps League (Chaplain—meaning she could pray for you and boss you around at the same time)

She had a way of peppering every conversation with Polish swear words and polka song lyrics, leaving people either laughing or confused—but always entertained.

Rusty was known for her no-nonsense attitude, quick wit, and ability to feed an army on short notice. She lived life with adventure, humor, and an impressive ability to get things done. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten—especially by anyone who ever tried to out-argue her (and lost).

A funeral mass will be held on May 2nd at 12:30 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Montecito. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The Marine Corps League.