Former Santa Barbara Mayor Sheila Lodge remembered for staying engaged

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) Longtime Santa Barbara locals are mourning the city's longest serving mayor.

Sheila Lodge, who turned 97 in June, died on Wednesday.

People who regularly attend city council meetings are likely to remember Lodge who served as mayor 3 times in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Lodge was also the first woman to become Mayor of Santa Barbara, but not the last.

Video of one of her campaign advertisements show Lodge talking about the need for affordable housing.

Lodge also stayed active.

In April of 2025 she attended to the city council meeting to apply to be on the latest Santa Barbara Historic Landmarks Commission.

When she walked along the halls of city hall she garnered immense respect

Lodge wrote a book entitled "Santa Barbara; An Uncommonplace American Town.

Mayor Randy Rowse said he recalled tangling with her over the signs at his restaurant.

"Sheila, number one, was our longest running mayor, she was our first female mayor and she was the mayor that was there when I started my business in the early 80s right across the street from city hall, so my beginning relationships with Sheila was kind of contentious."

They disagreed over an ordinance impacting his neon sign that said Paradise Cafe, that formerly said La Paloma Cafe.

Rowse won the fight over the sign.

Years later Rowse said they found common ground.

"She saw me perform on council, we became friends and she became somebody as a confidant somebody I talked to a lot about stuff and somebody who would talk to me when I would say someting she didn't agree with so as far as issues go Sheila and I disagreed on a lot of stuff but we had a great relationship and a lot of mutual respect because we both had the city at heart and sheila especially and that is the most incredible track record for a civil servant that I can think of-is what she did for a city, " said Rowse.

Jeff Berkus recalls getting to know Lodge while working with his architect father Barry Berkus in the 1980s.

"My thoughts are that Sheila Lodge, Mayor Sheila Lodge was an amazing individual and represented our city incredibly well, I happened to be working with my father downtown during her tenure I was there from 83-89 and she was mayor the entire time, " said Berkus," she did a lot for the city, she was a woman of character and she was the kind of woman you'd like to look back and say this is the legacy we would like to continue in our town in Santa Barbara."

Some of her admirers were getting ready to Wet Wednesday sailing races at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club when they heard she had died.

Lodge spent some of her childhood years in Ojai and went to UCSB once her daughters were in school.

She got involved with the League of Women Voters and stayed involved.

Her husband Judge Joe Lodge died of cancer decades ago.

Lodge is survived by four daughters and at least one grandson.

Your News Channel will have more on Shield Lodge tonight on the news.