Stanley Eigner, 75; Businessman Helped Education Groups

Stanley Eigner, 75, a Santa Barbara businessman and community leader who helped raise funds for education and child support groups, died Friday in Santa Barbara following a long illness.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Eigner graduated from Ohio State University and served as an officer in the Navy during the Korean War. After moving to Dover, Ohio, in 1958, he co-founded a chain of junior department stores and Ohio Vision Networks. Relocating to Santa Barbara in 1980, he became co-owner of Rips Vision Centers, which was later sold to NuVision.

Both in Ohio and California, Eigner worked to support educational institutions. He was active in President’s Clubs of Ohio State University, Santa Barbara City College and UC Santa Barbara, served on the UC Santa Barbara Foundation board of trustees and at the time of his death was president of UC Santa Barbara Affiliates.

In Ohio, he headed local chapters of the Crippled Children’s Society and United Fund, and in California, he was on the board of the Santa Barbara Anti-Defamation League. He was also a past president of the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation.