The mournful bleat of bagpipes could be heard outside Santa Maria’s Pacific Christian Center on April 30 in observance of the passing of former Santa Barbara County District Attorney Christie Stanley. The 61-year-old succumbed to lung cancer on April 25.
The pews inside the sanctuary brimmed to capacity as several hundred people, including law enforcement, government, and legal officials, gathered to pay their respects to the county’s first female district attorney.
“I’m not going to dwell on Christie’s illness other than to say how it reflects on her character,” retired assistant district attorney Eric Hansen said in his eulogy. “But you can’t really judge someone’s character until adversity is loudly knocking on the door.”
Throughout her battle with cancer, Hansen said, Stanley was the epitome of courage, and she carried herself with grace and dignity.
“I don’t remember her ever complaining,” he said. “Whenever I talked to her, she was more concerned about the office she loved. She wanted to know how everyone else was doing … She was someone who truly loved the DA’s office and those who worked there.”
Stanley was elected the county’s top legal official in 2006 after serving in the District Attorney’s office for more than 25 years.
“A lot has been said about Christie’s kindness. And I think she was kindhearted, but she was also independently tough-minded,” Hansen continued.
He said he appreciated a section in Stanley’s obituary that read: “She prosecuted hundreds of cases including murders, rape cases, arson, and had a nearly perfect conviction record.”
“Then it says, ‘In her spare time, she enjoyed golfing and knitting and camping with her family,’” Hansen joked.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown in his eulogy also painted a portrait of a woman who was tough, yet still exuded feminine charm.
“Now acting district attorney Ann Bramsen remembers her as, ‘A bright light, a shining star surrounded by a bunch of guys in cowboy boots,’” he said.
During her tenure as district attorney, Brown continued, Stanley improved technology in the department and forged strong inter-departmental relationships. She also developed or expanded several restorative justice programs, such as drug court and a truancy program.
“Who’s ever up in heaven running the legal department, they now have a first-rate, stylish district attorney to help keep evil at bay,” he concluded.
Stanley is survived by her husband Gary; her daughters, Renee Edman and Dawn Wright; her stepchildren, Mark Stanley, Ryan Stanley, and Tami Millican; her mother, Jeanette Claycamp; and her grandchildren.
This article appears in May 5-12, 2010.