Goleta lost a local legend. Former Mayor and Councilmember Jean Blois passed away at the age of 96 on March 22, 2024. She was a true trailblazer for the City and an important part of our history. Jean was one of four women on Goleta’s first five-member City Council and served as Mayor in 2005 and 2007 before leaving the Council in December 2008.

Mayor Paula Perotte said, “I appreciate all that Jean did as a part of that intrepid new Council to help this new city face and overcome many challenges that come with being a ‘start up’.”

The City is grateful to have interviewed her as part of the 20 Year Reflections video and will forever cherish her memories of how Goleta got its start 22 years ago. Watch a short clip here.

Among Jean’s many passionate pursuits, she fought to protect the pristine Ellwood Mesa from development.

Before being elected to the new Goleta City Council, Jean was very active in our city in other ways. She served on the Goleta School District Board from 1970-1983 and the Goleta Water District from 1990-2002. She was a part of numerous other organizations, and most recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce in 2022.

Jean was a proud graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (Cal) where she graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration. She met her husband Bob Blois while at Cal. They married and eventually made their way to Goleta where they founded Blois Construction and raised their five sons. They were married for almost 55 years before Bob passed away in 2004.

To learn more about her story and her many accomplishments, read her obituary in Noozhawk: https://www.noozhawk.com/jean-w-blois-of-goleta-1927-2024/.

Jean will be forever remembered for her love and commitment to Goleta.