John Clarence Eggler, a forty-five year resident of Ventura and former Santa Barbara City College History Professor, passed away peacefully in his sleep on December 2, 2022, at age 78 of natural causes.
John is survived by his partner Peter, of Ventura, and numerous cousins in Washington and Arizona, friends and his beloved dog Spikey.
John had years long ties to the Santa Barbara City College community, and the San Buenaventura Mission community as a catechism instructor, eucharistic minister and San Buenaventura Mission Museum docent.
John was born in Nogales Arizona in 1943 and there until 1958 later moving to Santa Barbara with his mother and father, Maia and Clarence. After attending the University of California Santa Barbara, he became a professor , teaching history, cultural studies and Chicano Studies at Santa Barbara City College, until his retirement in 2006.
He continued to teach at Santa Barbara City College in a limited capacity until he fully retired in 2010. John was an avid traveler and led groups of students on various trips abroad including Mexico, Cambride. Salamanca and Granada Spain, his favorite destination. He continued as an active member of the San Buenaventura Mission Parish as a eucharistic minister. Being a history buff, he also took an active role in the remodeling of the mission grounds and museum, becoming a museum docent passing on his knowledge to visitors to the mission.
John's life will be celebrated at a mass at San Buenaventura Mission Basilica on December 12, 2022 at 11 A.M.. A private reception will follow after the mass service. We ask no flowers be sent, and instead donations can be made to the donors’ favorite charity or the Santa Barbara City College Foundation.