Willard (Bill) Winfield McEwen, Jr.
Santa Barbara has lost one of its great community champions and most respected leaders with the passing of The Honorable Willard (Bill) McEwen, Jr. Surrounded by loved ones, Bill lost his battle with multiple health conditions, which he faced with unwavering courage, unflappable determination, and his uncanny sense of humor.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, on December 26, 1934, to parents Willard McEwen, Sr. and Esther Sprenger McEwen, Bill was the eldest of three siblings and assumed the role of Big Brother with a steadfast devotion that never faltered. In 1946, the family relocated to Hope Ranch Park in sunny Santa Barbara where Bill attended La Cumbre Junior High and graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1952.
Bill’s lifelong pursuit as a student and steward of the law began at Claremont Men’s College where he graduated with a double major in pre-law and public administration. In 1956, he served a year on active duty as a second lieutenant in the Army Reserve before entering – and, in 1960, graduating from – Hastings College of Law. Bill was admitted to the California Bar in 1961 and launched his early career as a lauded local family attorney. A highly respected figure in his field, Bill became The Honorable Willard McEwen as an appointed U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Santa Barbara-Goleta Municipal Court in 1973, a position he cherished.
An active and faithful community activist, Bill’s long list of accolades and leadership positions inspired all who knew him. He served as president of the Santa Barbara Kiwanis Club as well as the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Heart Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Bill was chairman of the Citizens Community Master Plan Committee, for which he led the charge to secure funding and support in the development of what is now Shoreline Park among other enduring legacy projects. Additionally, he proudly served as Chairman of Citizens Save Our Shoreline (SOS) and as a founding member of City Commerce Bank’s Board of Directors. Bill remained an important advocate for his alma mater, Claremont Men’s College.
Chairman of Citizens Save our Shoreline (SOS), 1964 and founding member of board of directors of City Commerce bank
When Bill wasn’t serving his local community or supporting causes important to him, he was strumming his guitar while singing along to favorite musicians like Crosby, Stills & Nash; John Denver; Jim Croce and The Kingston Trio. Social events at the McEwen household usually included friends who sang harmony with him. When he wasn’t singing, he was skiing, swimming, hunting, fishing, enjoying the outdoors with his family.
Accolades and personal passions aside, Bill’s greatest source of pride and most treasured role of his storied life was as the loving family man who married the love of his life, Susanne House McEwen, in 1959. The couple had three children – two of whom, Michael and Beth, predeceased them. These profound losses, added to the earlier loss of Bill’s younger brother, Bob, to cancer, led Susanne and Bill to their shared passion for and support of cancer research and patient care. Sadly, Susanne succumbed to cancer in 2022. Their daughter, Allison McEwen Peck; four grandchildren, Ryan and Drew Jacobs, Elizabeth Peck and Madeline McEwen, and Bill’s sister, Marilyn Potter, survive.
Bill is remembered for his strong will, intelligence, ambition, perseverance, curiosity, love of music and razor-sharp wit. He leaves behind an indelible legacy.
Family only will have a private graveside remembrance followed by a private celebration of life on July 3rd. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the Elizabeth McEwen Jacobs endowment fund which is dedicated to medical and scientific research related to genetic cancer. A check can be mailed to: Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, 601 W. Junipero Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 or online donation at: www.cfsb.org.
