Virginia Sloan passed away March 28, 2019 of natural causes. She was born May 14, 1929 in Los Angeles and had many fond memories of swimming and kayaking in Balboa Bay while growing up in the Newport Beach area.
Virginia’s love of the outdoors was fostered during childhood trips to Yosemite with her grandparents. She graduated from Newport High School and worked as a secretary in the school office.
Virginia met Bob Sloan on a cruise back to California from vacationing in Hawaii. Upon seeing her walk up the gateway Bob declared to his fellow traveler that she was the girl he was going to marry. They were married June 6, 1951 and eventually settled in Santa Barbara.
Virginia’s love for the outdoors and environment shaped her many volunteer activities. She was prominent in the mid-seventies on the Committee to save Zaca Lake from indiscriminate development. She also worked tirelessly serving as a Board member of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Wilding Museum, the Maritime Museum and Sea Center.
She passed on her love for the environment to her children while boating to Santa Cruz Island, hiking in the Santa Barbara hills and spending summers at the family cabin at Trinity Lake. She also fostered enduring friendships on the tennis courts around town.
She was predeceased by her husband, Robert Sloan and leaves behind her three children, Cydney, Robert, and Scott (Rebecca); grandchildren, Adam Brooks (Sarah), Douglas Brooks (Lisa), Jeniffer Sloan, Kimberly Sloan, Christine Toone (Paul), Anthony Symns (Apple), Lorraine Symns (Lawson Legore), and Alex Sloan; and great grandchildren Josette Brooks, Mason Mahoney, and Danielle Richards.
Memorial services are pending, Please make remembrances to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
