A smile so wide that it seemed to go on forever. The Laura I knew had a smile and a kind word for everyone, be that person a close friend or a total stranger. In that smile was gathered a life of giving, while also masking a life of pain. Laura Kath, the consummate professional communicator, left us just shy of her 60th birthday, but her legacy will light up Santa Barbara County for years to come.
A native of Michigan and a proud Michigan State alumna, Laura made Santa Barbara her home for more than 35 years. Sole owner of Mariah Marketing, she pioneered and championed many Santa Barbara institutions, making them better than they would have been without her exacting care. No newspaper or TV station ever doubted that Laura’s press releases were accurate, timely, and full of colorful detail: No fact-checking needed.
Laura was always there, following up to make sure the 4 a.m. press conference for the Amgen Tour of California time trials in Solvang were as carefully executed as the red-carpet debut of Sideways. She saw the tourism potential of the Santa Ynez Valley before many others and made sure her beloved Los Alamos was included in what became the Santa Ynez Valley Visitors Association, now VisitSYV. For many years, she was the editor of the Solvang and Santa Ynez Valley Visitor Guide. Her “radio voice” articulation and folksy humor were lent graciously to announce numerous Solvang parades and the annual Los Alamos Old Days parade. Representing Santa Barbara, the Santa Ynez Valley, and Solvang at tourism trade shows throughout the country, her unflagging, energetic presentation of our county earned her a deep respect and gratitude.
