Carmen Martinez Jiminez (Field), AKA Grandma Carmen passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 14, 2019, surrounded by family and friends.
Carmen was born in Santa Barbara and raised at St. Vincent’s Catholic orphanage from 4 years old until her 18th birthday. The first job she held was to care for judge’s family, and she continued to hold diverse jobs in and around Santa Barbara for over 45 years. Carmen leaves behind five adult children: David Gomez (Lidya), Loretta Smith (Ron), Robert Gomez (Marie), Lori Sanchez (Rudy) and John Cordero (Liz). Carmen loved being outdoors, never learning to drive a car. If you were one of her lucky grandchildren (D.W., Little Bob, Michelle, Mark, Jason, Renee, Megan, Regina, Paul, Marina, or John), you could guarantee you would be walking to the beach, museum, the mission, parks and, of course, to the corner store! She passed on her love for old classic musicals such as Westside Story, Oklahoma, 7 Bridges for 7 Brothers, Meet Me in St. Louis, and the Sound of Music.
Grandma Carmen was an artist in her later years. She created many colorful landscapes and groups of people wearing elaborate clothing. She creatively used felt, straw, and colored construction paper to create her masterpieces. Her flower creations were remarkable and dimensional, using her imagination to express what she observed. Grandma had a special connection with nature, from her blossoming garden on Anapamu St. to the woodland creatures of Yosemite Valley. Grandma loved and accepted everyone, including all the animals that came in contact with her. She was a walking example of what it means to love your neighbor. She also leaves behind several great-grandchildren.
A Rosary will be held at Welch-Ryce-Haider (Sola and State) on Thursday, July 18th at 7PM.
A funeral mass will be held on Friday July 19th at Our Lady of Sorrows (Anacapa Sola) at 10 AM. Funeral procession will proceed to Calvary Cemetery (North Hope Ave.)
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Serenity House (930 Miramonte Dr., Santa Barbara, CA 93109) or Santa Barbara Humane Society (5399 Overpass Rd., Santa Barbara, CA 93111), in memory of Carmen Field.
