George L. Burtness

Native Santa Barbara son George Burtness passed away on June 11 at age 94. He had a deep love of life, and for Santa Barbara and the various communities of which he was a part.

He was a renaissance man, deeply curious, charming, conversational, and knew most answers to most questions. His vast interests ranged from electronics to wine/sparkling wine to nature conservation to scuba diving to flying planes to hiking and marathoning and to volunteering. For the last 30+ years of his life, he devoted himself to the non-profit world of Santa Barbara.

For 40 years, he studied, worked, and lived in the Bay Area, earning a BA in Psychology and an MBA, both from Stanford University. He held many jobs, including time in the Air Force (mostly in Alaska), working for satellite companies, making wine, managing Stanford’s real estate, and flipping houses before it was a ‘thing.’ An inveterate traveler, he visited many large cities, small towns, national parks, and international hubs. He returned permanently to Santa Barbara in 1990.

While in Santa Barbara, George dedicated thousands of hours to supporting regional healthcare, inspired by his father, Dr. H.I. Burtness, who was one of the founding physicians of the Sansum Clinic. George also served as Chair of the Board at Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, carrying on a position once held by his father, and also became a Trustee Emeritus.

George gave over 4,600 hours of direct, hands-on service to patients and staff at Cottage Hospital over the last 18 years. He previously was President of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Auxiliary Board (supporting the coordination of hundreds of volunteers), was an instrumental member of the Healing Arts and Music Board, served as the Chair Volunteer of the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Endoscopy department, and served on the Institutional Review Board reviewing critical research projects. He was volunteering at Cottage right up until the last month of his life.

Beyond volunteering, he pledged a significant gift to create the George L. Burtness Endowment for Nursing Education fund to provide scholarships for nursing students and for registered nurses to advance their clinical education and skills. He and his brothers also provided a gift to help rebuild the hospital's Burtness Auditorium, named for Dr. H. I. Burtness.

A lifelong conservationist, George’s passion for protecting natural habitats spanned both global research and highly localized restoration. George had an unparalleled record of volunteerism across the California Channel Islands. Over a span of 45 years, he had visited Santa Cruz Island more than 100 times to study endangered species and assist The Nature Conservancy. A member of the Santa Cruz Island Foundation Advisory Council, he also successfully completed working visits to all eight California Channel Islands alongside the Channel Islands Restoration group.

During his 40 years living in Palo Alto, he routinely participated in Earthwatch research and biodiversity projects with professor-friends from Stanford University’s Biology department, which took him from studying ecosystems in Costa Rica to observing reef fish populations in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

George routinely lent his executive and administrative expertise to the boards of major community cornerstones, including The Lobero Theatre Foundation, where he served as President of the Board, and he actively served on the boards of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, the Music Academy of the West, and Lotusland, where he volunteered for decades and was a member of the Lotus Society group.

In April 2025, George was honored alongside Dr. Carrie Towbes as the 82nd Person of the Year by the Santa Barbara Foundation. The prestigious award honors individuals whose extraordinary volunteerism addresses vital community needs and enhances the quality of life in the Santa Barbara area. At 93 years old, George called the recognition "the highest honor of my life"—a sentiment made even more profound by the fact that he followed directly in the footsteps of his father, Dr. H.I. Burtness, who received the same honor 47 years prior.

George’s legacy spans healthcare, global and local environmental conservation, and deep leadership ties within Santa Barbara's premier cultural institutions.

He leaves a brother, a former wife, three children, three grandchildren, a niece, a Vices and Spices Saturday crew, so many friends and acquaintances, and his fingerprints all over the non-profit world of Santa Barbara. A brother pre-deceased him.

In some of his last conversations, he reiterated that a successful life answers the question, “What did you do to make the world better for people?” To honor George, raise a glass of your favorite beverage and make plans to make your slice of the world a better place.

A celebration of life will be held in Fall.

If you would care to honor George through financial support, please consider a donation to Santa Barbara’s TRADART Foundation, which provides career and technical education programs for students in the building and construction trades, or to a non-profit that is dear to your heart. Time can be as important as money, so consider volunteering for a non-profit that uplifts your community.