Obituaries : Sara Bayless, 93; Owner of Grocery Stores
Longtime Ojai resident and grocery store owner Sara Bayless died Wednesday. She was 93.
Bayless owned Bayless Market in Ojai. She and her husband, Marvin (Slim) Bayless, owned the Santa Cruz Markets in Ventura, Oxnard and Santa Paula. The Ventura and Oxnard stores were sold in 1954, and the Santa Paula store was sold after Marvin’s death in 1970, longtime employee J.T. Starr said.
“They were good people,” said Starr, who went to work for the Baylesses 34 years ago. “I never heard a bad word uttered about either one.”
Starr is the general manager and his son the manager of the Ojai store.
Sara Bayless was also active in the community and a member of the Ojai Humane Society, Starr said.
She is survived by a niece, Doris French of Fairfax, Va., and French’s two daughters, Starr said.
Starr said services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Clausen Funeral Home, Matilija Road and Montgomery Street, Ojai.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
