Obituary of Sandy Whittington

Sandy Whittington, 51, Santa Barbara, CA, passed away peacefully on January 18, 2012, after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. At her Serenity House bedside were family members and close friends. In October, 1960, Sandy was born in El Paso, TX, youngest daughter of Buddy and Jean Whittington. She started school in Anthony, New Mexico. When she and her mother moved to Pinetop, AZ, Sandy attended high school. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, earning a degree in interior design and membership in the American Society of Interior Designers, she moved to Phoenix. In the late 1980’s she and her husband, Jay, relocated to Santa Barbara, CA, where she worked at Garrett’s Furniture and Jordano’s Marketplace. Many Saturday mornings found Sandy exercising and talking to dogs at the Santa Barbara Humane Society. Her beloved English Bulldog, Brit, basked in her passion for animals. Sandy covered hundreds of miles on her bike and kayaked for hours with treasured friends. With others, she shared her enthusiasm for art and design. We may never know the number of people whose lives were touched by Sandy’s gentle charm, endearing laugh and genuine compassion, many of whom were friends for life. Sandy is preceded in death by her father, Howard (Buddy) Whittington and her mother, Jean Whittington. She is survived by her husband, Jay Harris of Santa Barbara, CA; her sisters Carol (C.J.) Edmonds and husband Bob , Lake Havasu City, AZ and Julie Duncan and husband Kerry, Oxford, GA; niece Lauren Duncan, Covington, LA; nephew Matt Duncan, Atlanta, GA; cousins Meg Bergquist, Austin, TX and Robert Gilbert, El Paso, TX; and many, many dear, close friends who can testify to the magnitude of Sandy’s heart. To the Santa Barbara community, the family wishes to express profound gratitude for its outpouring of affection for Sandy and to Salon Patine and L’Oreal Hair Centric for their generous support. A special thanks goes to Trinity Episcopal Church. As per her request, there will be no service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Santa Barbara Humane Society, 5399 Overpass Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2093 or to Serenity House, 930 Miramonte Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93105-4435. -