Deanna Tartaglia

I am creating this page in memory of Deanna Tartaglia, a dear friend of almost 40 years who passed away recently. The proceeds will all go to her daughter, Jade, to help her with any remaining medical bills, memorial costs, and unanticipated expenses related to her passing.

Deanna was the first person I met in Santa Barbara before I moved here, when she and I were bridesmaids in my sister's wedding. When I moved to Santa Barbara a few months later we became friends and also worked together, with plenty of fun times and lots of laughs. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of medical terminology through her long career in medical records and transcription. Recently she started her own floral business, creating and selling beautiful bouquets for every occasion.

Over the years, we went backpacking in Yosemite and she introduced me to the areas around Lone Pine, where she grew up. We hiked out of the portal on the trail to Mt Whitney and on the Cottonwood Lakes Trail in the Golden Trout Wilderness, went to the County Fair in Bishop, and explored the Alabama Hills. When we skied at Mammoth she would make me get up before dawn so we could hit the slopes when it opened, ski all day, and then grab the last run of the day as the light grew low. She made me drive her Trans Am when I could barely see over the hood, and we laid rubber in Bakersfield when she told me to turn at the very last second coming through an intersection, laughing. She hosted a wedding shower for me, and I spent lots of time with her and with Jade when she was growing up, watching their sweet bond as mom and daughter. She loved the outdoors, doted on her dogs and cats and cared for local strays as well, and enjoyed a good meal and a nice glass of wine.

There will be a memorial service in June, hopefully with lots of beautiful flowers. Thank you for supporting Jade and remembering our dear friend Deanna.