Jean Williamson Blois of Goleta was born in San Francisco on December 4, 1927. She died March 22, 2024.

She spent part of her childhood in Boston and part in the Bay Area, graduating from University High School in Oakland in 1945 — shortly before World War II ended. The “home front” with nightly black-outs, food, gas and shoe rationing, for example, was nearly over.

Jean attended Cal (UC Berkeley as it is known today), paying her way through college by typing for various businesses (starting with the Naval Air Base in Alameda). She graduated in 1949 with a B.S. in Business Administration and remained a staunch Golden Bears supporter to the end. While attending Cal, she joined the Mu chapter of Delta Zeta, a national sorority, serving as president her senior year. She was extremely proud of her college education and was a lifetime member of the American Association of University Women.

She met Bob Blois, a Pi Kappa Alpha at Cal studying electrical engineering, and they were married August 20, 1949. After moving around in their early years, they settled in Goleta in 1964.

Jean subsequently helped Bob found Blois Construction Inc. in Goleta. Jean spent a lot of time doing the administrative work necessary for a small, start-up company, and the company is still going strong today with its main office now in Oxnard.

Jean and Bob welcomed five sons and celebrated nearly 55 married years before Bob passed away on August 1, 2004.

Jean is survived by her sons and their spouses, R. Steven (Brenda), Douglas (Dian), Scott, Jim (Alice), and Mike (Juli); 11 grandchildren, Jessica, Jaime (Blake), Craig (Tracy), Ben (Jessie), Isaac (Laurie), Zachary (Kimberly), Matt (Casey), Niki (Patrick), Kelsey, Will and Stephen; 14 great-grandchildren and counting, Claire, Owen, Jacob, Adam, Sydney, Kylan, Rynn, Iona, Aileigh, Teagan, Lucy, Morris, Emerson and Penelope; and nephews Richard Williamson and Tom Williamson. She was preceded in death by her parents (William Arthur Williamson and Mina Jamieson Williamson), husband (Robert Wyllie Blois), brother (John Arthur Williamson), sister-in-law (Mari Louise Williamson) and nephew (David Williamson).

Jean’s love of Goleta led her to many years of public service. Her sons all graduated from Dos Pueblos High School, and she served on the Goleta School District board from 1970-1983, standing as president several times and representing the district at the Tri-County level as well as being elected to the California School Board Association

She next served on the Goleta Water District from 1990-2002, often as president, and was a representative to the Santa Barbara County Special Districts as well as the Association of California Water Agencies. She also served as vice president of the Cachuma Project Authority (joint group of water company representatives re-negotiating the Lake Cachuma Agreement with the U.S. Department of the Interior). She especially treasured her experiences on the water board. She resigned only after being elected to the first Goleta City Council.

After many frustrating attempts at incorporation of the City of Goleta, Jean was absolutely thrilled when the new city was approved in the 2001 election. Jean was elected to the first Goleta City Council that worked so very hard to have things ready to inaugurate the city on February 1, 2002. The five newly elected Council members were sworn in on the steps of the Goleta Valley Community Center. She served as mayor in 2005 and 2007.

Over her years, Jean served many other organizations within the Goleta region, often assuming leadership roles: Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation; Goleta Valley Community Center Board; Goleta Chamber of Commerce, serving as president in 1998; president of Santa Barbara County Taxpayers Association; Girsh Park board; Goleta Valley Beautiful; Goleta Valley Historical Society; and many others. She, along with Bob, was a lifetime member of the Santa Barbara Elks Lodge, and was very proud to be named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Goleta Noontime Rotary Club. She was a Founding Director of Community West Bank. Jean was named Goleta Woman of the Year in 1997 and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 by the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce.

Jean was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. Her faith was unwavering. She served the local Goleta Presbyterian Church on Sherrill Way several times as an Elder, helped the Finance Committee Sunday mornings, taught Sunday School at many different levels, and physically helped her husband build the new Church building when other volunteers were unavailable.

Jean was also an excellent seamstress and knitter. She made nearly all her clothes for many years, many shirts and sweaters for her boys, and legendary Christmas stockings for her extended family, until her fingers started to fail her. She loved playing bridge, water-skiing, snorkeling, snow-skiing, and cheering on the Dodgers and Lakers. She was a den mother five times over — deserving a medal for this service in particular. Bob and Jean also thoroughly enjoyed traveling around the world in later years. Their many Cal Alumni-sponsored trips took them on a train ride through Russia when it was still the Soviet Union to a river excursion in the depths of the Amazon, and many places in between.

Jean’s last years were spent at the Maravilla Retirement Community, where she continued serving her community as co-chair of the Residents Association and organizer of many duplicate bridge games for the residents. Jean’s second-floor, mountain-facing apartment was a constant reminder of Goleta’s beauty. Her Scottish Fold cat, My Bonny Lass, was her steadfast companion for many years. She used the COVID-19 pandemic isolation period to write her own memoirs so she could tell her life story in her own words, an account which now provides many enduring points of lighthearted debate and laughter among her family. 

Jean passed away peacefully at her home, having lived the fullest life possible. All of her sons appreciated that they always had a “listening ear” in their mom. Loving and thoughtful to the end, she prepared everyone around her for her passing, but still leaves a huge hole in the lives of her family, friends and community.

In lieu of flowers, and in recognition of Jean’s lifelong love of and work for Goleta, please send donations to the Goleta Valley Community Center, the Goleta Presbyterian Church, or any of the other Goleta-based charities or organizations that Jean supported. A memorial service for Jean will be organized at a later date.