Sheila Lodge, mother, housewife, gardener, cook and former mayor of Santa
Barbara, died on July 8, 2026. She was 97.
Sheila was born at home on her parents’ dairy farm in Arcadia, California, and
spent her early childhood in Ojai, where her parents had a small dairy. She
attended Stanford University for one year then San Jose State College for
another. She married a St. John’s College, Annapolis, student and lived in
Annapolis, MD, where she taught elementary school and then did social work.
She moved to Santa Barbara in 1952.
After her first child was born in 1951, she was mostly a housewife and mother
until her youngest child was in school full-time. She went back to college and
completed a BA in English at UCSB.
Her first marriage ended in divorce in 1960. In 1961 she married then Justice
Court Judge Joseph Lodge.
She was active in the League of Women Voters, “a great place to learn about
government.” Having observed the Santa Barbara Planning Commission in
action, she decided that she could do that. She was appointed to it in 1973. She
successfully ran for city council in 1975 and again in 1979. She was elected three
times as mayor and served in that capacity from 1981 to 1993.
While in office she worked for major planning initiatives, including the 85,000
optimum population goal and Measure E to manage non-residential growth.
The State Fair Share goal for construction of affordable housing was met by 700
percent, the cross-town freeway was completed and Paseo Nuevo was built.
Believing that details are important, she fought for a strong sign ordinance and
high architectural standards.
She was passionate about preserving Santa Barbara’s high quality of life. She
loved being mayor and serving the people of Santa Barbara.
She cherished the comments The Independent made In endorsing her for her
third term as mayor in 1989:
“Her virtues and her values seem almost old-fashioned, small-town ones
even: peace, decency, respect for others, hard work, substance and not
image. Her detractors criticize her for being old-fashioned — to which we
say, ‘More power to you, your honor!’”
In November 2005, she was referred to as “motherly and tough” in The
Independent in connection with the very civil council meetings during her terms
as mayor. She liked that, too.”
After leaving office, Sheila was a volunteer with numerous organizations,
including Planned Parenthood, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Citizens
Planning Association and the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Docent Council.
She loved gardening and maintained her one-acre garden by herself, calling it her
gym. She loved her annual hiking trips in the Canadian Rockies.
In 2005 the City of Santa Barbara began a General Plan Update. Sheila became
very concerned about the direction it was taking and feared that Santa Barbara
would not retain the qualities that make it so special. She applied to the
Planning Commission again and was appointed in 2008, 35 years after the first
time. She was pleased to have a hand in shaping the new plan. She was
reappointed in 2012, 2016 and in 2020.
In 2020 her book, “Santa Barbara: An Uncommonplace American Town,” a
history of its urban planning, was published. Sheila urged the people of Santa
Barbara to get involved and work to protect and enhance Santa Barbara’s special
qualities.
Her husband of 46 years, Joseph Lodge, a Superior Court judge, died in 2008.
She is survived by her four daughters, Anne Nadler, Rachel Lodge, Amy Mattison
(Kevin) and Helen Lodge; and her grandson, Dashael Nadler-Fennell.
