Any remembrance about Jody Lynn Kaufman has as its hallmark the excellence Jody brought to every aspect of her life. Her husband describes her as brilliant and beautiful. Her children talk about what an incredibly supportive and nurturing mother she was. Everyone who knew her would speak about her impressive ability to figure out how to build anything, design fabric art, and create beautiful gardens. We are writing this as her very close friends. Some of us have known Jody for more than 30 years, and all of us count ourselves extremely fortunate to have had her as such an important part of our lives.
Jody grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, the second child of Michael and Shirley (Danielson) Comstock. After her father left her mother with four children to raise, it was a hard time for the family. Jody started babysitting at an early age. By the time she was 16, she was working 40 hours a week or more. Even as a full-time college student, she worked 20 hours a week. Jody majored in business and was brilliant with numbers, but she was also an artist. It was in college that she met and married the love of her life, Scott Kaufman, a love that lasted more than 45 years. When they were first married, since Scott loved music and it was the 1970s, they headed to California after college, settling in Santa Barbara.
While Scott pursued his dream of a career in music, Jody, ever practical, got a job at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she became an extraordinary administrator. As executive director of Academic Affairs, Jody provided a continuity and keen insights that guided a succession of six executive vice chancellors at a period of unprecedented growth in the campus’s academic programs. In addition to managing the resources for UCSB’s largest division, she oversaw capital and long-range planning, and the division’s technical infrastructure. She was extremely collegial, mentoring and advancing staff all over campus. Professionals from all divisions came to her for advice, and she always generously provided her ideas and creative solutions.
