MEET THE UCLUB TEAM: Leticia (Lety) Guzman has worked at the University Club for 17 years now and still loves every minute of it. Originally from Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico, Lety worked for 15 years as a paralegal secretary at a law firm in Mexico before coming to the US. Her first job was at the Littletown Club. A coworker, Elvira, also worked at the University Club and mentioned that they needed more servers to help out during Fiesta. [Elvira is also still with us at the University Club - stay tuned for more about her next month!]. Lety and three others came over to help out and Lety ended up staying on. To make ends meet she used to work three club jobs as well as some catering gigs. A lot has changed since Lety started at the Club - “I still remember when we got computers for taking orders and payments for the first time!” she exclaims - but some things, she notes, never change: “The members are always wonderful.” Lety particularly prides herself on her hard work and attention to details. “Some of us have been here a long time. We know the members well. I like to give them personal service whenever they come in.” Lety’s favorite events at the Club are Easter and the Holiday mixer and dinner. “It’s so nice to see everyone dressed up. Easter is such a nice Sunday with the families.” She also loves Fiesta at the Club. One of her favorite memories so far is when the Club hired a mariachi band for Cinco de Mayo. “Oh, it was so much fun!” she enthuses with a big smile. “We all danced, the members and staff. And I sang!” In fact, singing is one of Lety’s hidden talents. She used to sing in her church choir. During her time off she loves reading - especially spiritual fiction. Lety lives with her sister and brother-in-law here in Santa Barbara. Her father, step-mother, and three step-siblings live in Mexico. She was not able to see them for many years, but now that she is able to she will be going home next month for her father’s birthday. “He taught me hard work and honesty,” she says. “I use that every day here.”
In Memoriam: Long time UClub member Mary Lou Brace passed away peacefully on January 30, 2020 at the age of 84. Born in Jacksonville, Illinois on July 24, 1935, the only child of Louis and Marie Neirman, Mary Lou met her husband, William A. Brace, while he was a student at Illinois College. They were together until her death 66 years, four children, and ten grandchildren later. Mary Lou and Bill moved to Santa Barbara in 1961. Here they joined the Jaycees and Jayceettes, as well as other charitable organizations, always giving back to the community. Mary Lou was a member and served as President of the Assistance League of Santa Barbara, served on the Juvenile Justice Commission, volunteered at Hillside House, and had a special place in her heart for the Santa Barbara Zoo. She was a member of the local sorority Sigma Tau Psi, Camp Menopause, her Birthday Club and the Los Fiesteros Dance Club. She took tap dancing lessons and was known to dance the night away. With her children grown and out of the house, Mary Lou and a couple of friends started LUV YA, a company that delivered gifts from parents to students at UCSB. Mary Lou is survived by her husband and their children, Sandra Brace Zakis (Patrick), Robert Brace (Fernanda), Barbara Brace, and William B. Brace (Meredith) and their grandchildren, William Zakis, Ryan Zakis, Stephanie Zakis, Walker Brace, Charlotte Brace, Bolden Brace, Georgia Brace, Augustine Brace, Catalina Brace, and Magdalena Brace. “Mary Lou was the brightest light and the warmest heart in any room. Come party with Mary Lou one more time as we celebrate her life on March 21, 2020 from 2 PM – 4 PM at The University Club of Santa Barbara.” In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Santa Barbara Zoo or The Assistance League of Santa Barbara. 8 THE 1919 MAGAZINE | MARCH 2020
