Edward Ransford

August 27, 1936 - July 24, 2023

Ed died on July 24 in Santa Barbara. He grew up in Pasadena, and attended South Pasadena-San Marino High School. He entered Occidental College as a Sociology major and developed a reputation as a good bass player, earning the nickname 'Swinging Ed'. After graduation, he received a Masters and PhD in Sociology at UCLA, and took a faculty position at USC where he worked for over 30 years.

Ed did important research on the Watts riots, and later joined his interest in race relations with medical sociology, focusing on health justice. He was a winner of USC's Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching and numerous other teaching awards. His most recent work identified the barriers to health care among Latino immigrants in the Los Angeles area.

Ed and his second wife, Chris, moved to Carpinteria in 2011. He was a lover of jazz and an accomplished musician, and played the upright bass at various clubs in the region. As a member of two different jazz groups in Santa Barbara, he played at many local venues. He was a committed athlete, windsurfer, gym workout fiend, and lover of all things dealing with the ocean. A popular teacher and wonderful friend, he will be missed.

Susan McKellar '54