Sid Susman

February 24, 1919 - December 15, 1996

He liked to say he gave ulcers rather than got them, and it's true Sid didn't seem to let the looters get to him. Born in New York City and raised in White Plains, NY, he actually did run away to join the circus before high school was officially over. He graduated June 28, 1938, however, and continued on to complete his education in engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He was a Mason and pilot, serving in the New York and California Air National Guard.

Sid married Margaret Golden in Greenwich, CT on February 26, 1949 and they wisely headed west. They first settled in La Jolla, CA and had two children: Sydney and Betsy. Sid was in aerospace during its boom years in Southern California, working for Higgins Aircraft, Rohr Aircraft, Convair, General Dynamics, RCA, Douglas and Lockheed. When the industry began to take a dive in the late 1960s, Sid & Margaret headed north to Santa Barbara County to found the Rivergrove Investment Corporation.

The corporation was established for the purposes of property acquisition/management and market investments. Sid always said he enjoyed most his years though the 1970s and 1980s as manager of the Rivergrove Mobile Home Park. He was active in local business, government and the Santa Ynez Valley Pistol and Bow Club. Next to his daily trek around Buellton, Solvang, and Santa Ynez, (followed by a snooze in his chair,) he liked nothing better than the art of cutting a good deal or being first to a garage sale.

We all miss him.

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