Obern, Vivian Marie (Hapeman), 1921-2015

Dates

• Existence: 1921-05-20 - 2015-06-21

Biography

Vivian, ‘Vie,’ passed away peacefully on June 21, 2015 at the age of 94. Vivian was born in Park Ridge, Illinois on May 20, 1921, where she had a wonderful childhood as the youngest of four children. Daughter of Vaughn Webber and Beatrice Beckwith Hapeman. She attended Principia College in Illinois, where she graduated with a B.A. in political science in 1942 with her classmate George Obern. She and George were married at her family home after he joined the Navy during World War II.

With their young son Vaughn, Vivian and George moved to Santa Barbara in 1947 when George was hired by USCB as Public Information Manager. Vie and George became active in community affairs. She was a dedicated volunteer, serving on many historical and land-preservation organization boards.

Vivian received many recognitions in her lifetime. Among them: two PTA Honorary Service Awards, Santa Barbara’s Woman of the Year (1989), SB National Horse Show dedication (1994), Distinguished Alumni Award from Principia College (1996), Pearl Chase Historic Preservation and Conservation Award (1998), the SB Trust for Historic Preservation created the George and Vivian Obern Preservation Stewardship Award in their honor. Vie was a founding member of the SB Trails Council but one of her major achievements was initiating and helping raise the millions of dollars needed for the construction of the seven-mile Goleta bikeway, which was named The Obern Trail.

Vie is survived by her children, Vaughn Obern, Dale Obern Hoeffliger, and Reade Obern, son-in-law Greg Hoeffliger, and daughter-in-law Nancy Obern, as well as her four granddaughters, Aimee Hoeffliger Pier, Natalie Hoeffliger Goodwin, Allison Hoeffliger, and Megan Hoeffliger, and grandsons-in-law Stacy Pier and Kevin Goodwin. Vie has six great-grandchildren -- Thatcher and Porter Pier, Ashlin and Westin Goodwin, and Addison and Levi Hoeffliger -- as well as many nieces and nephews.

-- Obituary from the Santa Barbara Independent.

Vivian Obern is a graduate of Principia College, Elsah, Illinois, with a double major in political science and art. The Oberns came to Santa Barbara in 1947. In 1967 they bought the historic Hope House and have since restored it. Mrs. Obern is on the advisory board of La Purisima Mission State Historic Park and is executive secretary of the National Trails Council. Her interest in trails (riding, hiking and bicycling) resulted in her apppointment by Governor Reagan to the California Recreational Trail Committee (1971-1976). Mrs. Obern is the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation's Secretary and a member of the Executive Committee, Nominating Committee and Public Relations and Publications Committee.

-- from La Campana, Fall/Winter 1987.

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