Stanley Ray Jeffries
Stan Jeffries, a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died on May 27, 2026 at age 99 in Santa Barbara, CA. Stan was born on April 25, 1927 in Los Angeles, CA to Fred Ray and Leota Kathyrn Jeffries. After spending his early childhood years in Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, and San Francisco, he graduated from high school in Riverside, CA. One of his fondest childhood memories was walking across the Golden Gate Bridge with his elementary school classmates the day before it opened to vehicle traffic.
After graduating from high school, Stan served in the U.S. Navy, based stateside in San Diego for a year during World War II. While in the Navy, he took classes that built the foundation for a successful career at Bourns in Riverside.
Stan and a former classmate Marion were married on June 25, 1949 at Grace Methodist Church in Riverside, CA. The June 25 wedding date would later be shared by two more generations of family members.
Stan and Marion welcomed three children into their family: Steve, Karen, and Alan. He later became a grandfather to Scott, Julie, and Angie, and a great-grandfather to Abigail. Stan played a large role in their lives, providing an abundance of time, love, and wisdom.
Instrumental music was a source of joy in Stan’s life. He began playing clarinet in elementary school and he continued through high school and beyond. As a young adult, he played “gigs” with a big band. He later joined the Prime Time Band and the Dixie Daddies jazz ensemble in Santa Barbara, playing a variety of woodwind instruments. Stan loved composing musical arrangements, repairing old instruments, and sharing his love of music with his children and grandchildren.
Stan and Marion later moved to a mobile home park to what they lovingly referred to as the “tin box.” They lived independently and actively well into their 90s before moving to assisted living.
Stan was resourceful and handy, preferring to do “fix it” projects around the house by himself – anything from repairing his wife’s broken purse strap to doing electrical rewiring. Well into his 90s, you could find him in his workshop with a project underway. He also completed elaborate woodworking projects, including doll furniture that would be handed down to the next generation.
Stan had an incredible memory and could easily recall specifics about trips or experiences that happened decades earlier (even the addresses of childhood homes). He also had a sense of humor and often reminded his grandchildren to speak into his right ear because his left ear was “left out.”
Stan was a source of wisdom, encouragement, and a steady guiding presence to his family through many phases of their lives. He could solve seemingly any problem, from car trouble to how to deal with a bad boss. We will miss him dearly and are grateful we had the opportunity to spend many wonderful years together.
He is survived by his wife of 76 years, Marion Jeffries; children Steve (Kathie) Jeffries, Karen Wootton, and Alan Jeffries; grandchildren Scott Jeffries (Jordan Sudermann), Julie Wootton-Greener (Cody Greener), and Angie Wootton (Ava Agree); and great-granddaughter Abigail Greener. He is preceded in death by his parents Fred and Leota Jeffries, sister Barbara Blunden, and son-in-law Jeff Wootton.
