Hewson L. Gadsby

December 5, 1920 - March 15, 2016

Hewson L. Gadsby passed away peacefully on Tuesday March 15th in Santa Barbara at the age of 95. Hew was born in Phoenix, Arizona on December 5, 1920 and was raised in Los Angeles with three sisters. He attended Manual Arts High School in L.A. where he excelled in his studies and as a gymnast, specializing on the rings apparatus. Hew graduated from UCSB and continued on to get his Masters in English at Claremont Graduate School. Hew served in the US Air Corps from 1942 to 1946, working as an airplane mechanic keeping fighters going on the front lines. He began his career in education at Santa Barbara Junior High as the woodshop teacher. He moved to La Cumbra Junior High where he became a school counselor, eventually retiring from Goleta Valley Junior High in 1982. “Mr. Gadsby” was universally loved by his students and hardly a day went by that he was not warmly greeted in town by a former student. He met his wife Caroline while working together at Goleta Valley Junior High and the two were married in 1978. He enjoyed traveling, especially with the Wagon Masters group with whom he and Caroline RV’d with for many years. Hew had four children in his first marriage to Lois Gadsby and is survived by Lois and three of their children. He was pre-deceased by his eldest son Bob. He is also survived by Caroline, his beloved wife of 38 years, and his step-son Jeff Overeem. His two devoted step-daughters, Kathy Ericson and Karen Johnson, also preceded him in death. “Grandpa” Hew has many loving grandkids, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. Graveside services will be held on Friday March 25th at 11:00 AM at Santa Barbara cemetery.