Carol Preston
Carol Preston passed away peacefully in Santa Barbara on May 29, 2025, at the age of 82. She is survived by her son Hal and daughter Alicia.
She was born Carol Sue Davis in New York City and grew up both there and in Weston, CT. In 1972 Carol and her husband Dale moved to Santa Barbara with their young children. Seeing a need for alternative approaches to education, she became part of the small group that founded the Open Alternative School in 1975. Carol’s founding role in the school expanded when she was hired there, and she wore many hats at the tight-knit campus such as secretary, nurse, parent coordinator and more. She loved the school and her work there, staying until her retirement many years later. After retiring she returned to her own education, eventually going on to get her BA in Communications from Antioch University.
Carol had a giving heart: she found fulfillment in being emotionally and spiritually helpful to others, and was an active member of several support groups and communities such as the Unitarian Society, Las Lobas women’s group and various fellowships devoted to loving service. She also had a strong interest in human health and the healing arts: in addition to traditional medicine, her curious and inquisitive spirit led her to explore alternative approaches such as herbal and energy medicine, somatic therapies and nutritional health.
She loved dance, particularly contemporary dance, and took classes for many years and participated in amateur productions until retiring to the role of enthusiastic audience member. She loved art and art history, music (especially the blues), and was a avid “foodie”. In any crowd she invariably knew someone: a parent from school or a neighbor, someone from an art class, poetry class or support group, a dancer, an artist or a book club member.
Whether it was reaching out to someone in need, spending time with her friends or her children, or just facing the everyday challenges of life, she strove to add to the lives of her fellow human beings. She will be missed by everyone whose lives she touched.
A memorial will be held at her home on August 9th at 2:00 pm.
