George Gregory Zaragoza

“Estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David
Hoy por ser día de tu santo te las cantamos aquí”
                                                     Composer unknown

George Gregory Zaragoza was born on April 26, 1957. He passed away on his 66th birthday, almost to the hour, on April 26, 2023. George, “Jorge” as he liked to call himself, was a devoted son, brother, uncle, and husband. He attended Franklin Elementary School, Santa Barbara Junior High, and Santa Barbara High School, Class of 1975. Growing up on the Eastside of Santa Barbara, George was fortunate to have made many lifelong friendships there. He was a proud native of Santa Barbara, but when his parents Alexander and Adrienne Zaragoza moved to Bishop, CA in 1978, he made the area his home away from home. It was there that he discovered his love for the fresh mountain air, trout fishing, and horseback riding/pack stations in the Owens Valley. George came to love everything cowboy, from old western films and TV reruns, to the infamous spurs that his nieces and nephews would teasingly try to steal. He especially loved taking part in branding roundups with the Ames Family. George was a motorcycle enthusiast. He enrolled in the Motorcycle Mechanic’s Institute of Phoenix, from which he graduated in 1993. He returned to Santa Barbara and was hired by Harley-Davidson of Santa Barbara. Once again, on April 26th.  George and Pam (Mendoza) were married in 2004 but their friendship began many years before. Aside from making each other laugh, among their many other enjoyments, was taking driving daytrips up the coast, always returning home by way of the A&W/Big Bopper. They called it the “Hot Dog Run”. His brother in-law, Michael O’Leary (deceased July 2022) introduced him to the fraternal organization, the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitas, of which he became a member. George is survived by his wife Pam (Mendoza), her children Devin Torres and Cierra Torres, and grandchildren Aleia, Alyssa, Emma, Paloma and Levi. He will be missed by his sweet little dog, Jozie Wales. He is also survived by his parents Alexander and Adrienne Zaragoza, sisters Jeanie Cornet (husband Dan), Tina Tillemans (husband  Brian) Rachel Zaragoza (Rick Rodriguez), Mary O’Leary, and brother Alex Zaragoza (wife Mary). His many nieces and nephews can attest to the void that George will forever leave in their hearts and in their lives. Our family would like to thank the wonderful people at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center for their kindness, compassion and dedication. We’d also like to thank the doctors, nurses, and chaplains at Cottage Health. The comfort and care that they provided to George and his family will never be forgotten. Lastly, we would like to thank George’s employer and friends at Don’s Heating and Air Conditioning. Their support, understanding and love are what kept George motivated to carry on. A Celebration of Life will be held in his memory beginning at 11:00 am on June 3, 2023 at Toro Canyon Park in Carpinteria. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cottage Health Palliative Care Support Team or Ridley Tree Cancer Center.