Charlotte Marium Best

CHARLOTTE K. BEST, was born January 18, 1916 in Decatur, Illinois and went home to be with her Heavenly Father, the Lord of Creation, on June 9, 2015. Charlotte was a person who never met a stranger, and always had her smile in place to get to know new people. Charlotte moved to Santa Barbara in 1970, after the death of her first husband, Clarence Johnson. She wanted to be close to her only sister, Joy Sommerfield and her husband, Art. She worked for many years at La Arcada Investment Corp. for Hugh Peterson as his personal assistant. She helped make La Arcada a friendly place for tenants and visitors alike. She married Joseph Best, a Santa Barbara gemologist, in 1987. Both she and Joe continued to work long after the official retirement age. Even though Joe had Macular Degeneration, he faithfully and accurately backed the car out of the driveway every day so Charlotte could drive to work. When Joe’s failing eye sight finally forced him to retire, Charlotte also retired. Charlotte has been residing at Mission Terrace Convalescent Home for the last several years. Her dear friend, Kari Isaeff of Santa Barbara, helped make her comfortable at Mission Terrace. Jim Boyer, her caregiver, rarely missed a day visiting Charlotte and helped her in every way he could. Jim’s wife, Karen, was always on call for help and Doreen Luken shampooed and set her hair and made sure she was dressed in a current style. She was very blessed to have such wonderful caregivers. Charlotte is survived by her beloved daughter, Linda Johnson Rodgers, who lives in Bozeman, Montana, her granddaughters, Karen Mykleby and Kathy Patterson and her four great grandchildren, Katie Charlotte Mykleby, who shares her birthday with Charlotte, Chase Mykleby, Cole Patterson and Brice Patterson. Charlotte’s service and celebration of life, will be held at 10:00 a.m. on June 15, 2015. It will be a graveside service at the Santa Barbara Cemetery. Charlotte was a lifelong Christian and Bible Scholar. She loved all animals, and supported the National Humane Society and Santa Barbara Humane Society. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Billy Graham Society or Santa Barbara Humane Society are welcomed.

Charlotte Marium Best

January 18, 1916 - June 8, 2015