Joan Rosemary Churchill

Joan Rosemary Churchill, 97, of Santa Barbara, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2025.

She was born on December 28, 1927, in Santa Barbara, California, to George and Ida Mary Horspool Churchill, who had come from England. Joan grew up on Campbell Ranch in the Goleta Valley, where she developed her lifelong love of animals and the California coast.

Joan was preceded in death by her beloved daughter Diane and her sister Ida. She is survived by her son David and his wife Linda; her granddaughters Summer and her husband Rick, and Julia and her husband Jess; and her great-grandchildren Jonny, Alice, James, and Phoebe.

Joan studied interior design at Woodbury College in Los Angeles, where she met her husband of 20 years (1949–1969). She went on to build a career in public service, starting as a clerical worker and eventually retiring as Northern District Manager in Sacramento for the Office of Contract Compliance. She lived and worked in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Sacramento, and later returned to Santa Barbara, which was always closest to her heart.

A breast cancer survivor, Joan will be remembered for her fiercely independent spirit, her devotion to animals, especially her cockatiel, Skipper, and her joy in gardening.

She will be laid to rest at the Santa Barbara Cemetery in a private service.