Michelle Dawn Rector (Shelly), age 74, of Humboldt County, California, and Yamhill County, Oregon, passed away on August 24, 2026.
Shelly was born on June 10, 1952 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka, California to Donald and Beverly Bent.
She grew up in Fortuna and Eureka, California, where she attended Toddy Thomas Elementary, Grant Elementary, Winship Jr. High, and Jacobs Jr. High before graduating from Eureka High School in 1970.
She grew up in a close-knit family that spent time every week with her grandparents in Fortuna and Ferndale, California.
She had fond memories of her Grandma Helen Bent’s award-winning homemade chocolates, pastries, and flowers. She also loved visiting her Grandma Alice Allen, a secretary and writer for the Ferndale Enterprise. Though she didn’t always love having her visits chronicled in the local newspaper.
She met her husband of 56 years, Tom Rector, in 11th grade, and they began dating in her senior year. Tom has often said the best thing in his life was “when Shelly said ‘Yes’.”
They were married July 11, 1970 at her grandparents’ church – St. Mark Lutheran Church – in Ferndale, California.
Both Ferndale and St. Mark’s were special to Shelly, not just as places, but as connections to her roots, her grandparents, great-grandparents, and extended family.
Together, Shelly and Tom built three companies – MT Builders, Thomas Industries, and Thomas Home Center Inc. – in Humboldt County, California.
While quiet and unassuming, Shelly approached life and business anchored in faith and family, with determination, grit, and her own special grace and creativity.
She stepped up to do what was needed for their growing businesses. In the early days, that included everything from drawing plans and completing permitting paperwork to bicycling across town to the building department and bank with her toddler and hauling materials up onto rooftops.
Quietly involved in all the behind the scenes work of the businesses, she became an expert in drafting, home design, remodelling, real estate investing, and accounting. She and Tom were early adopters of technology, both learning computer programming in the late 70s/early 80s to better help run their businesses.
As the CFO of Thomas Home Center, Inc, she led the accounting and “paperwork” side of the business. The Thomas Home Center “family” was special to her, a part of her extended family. She loved celebrating their joys and felt their losses.
Shelly lived in Humboldt County, California for over 50 years, before moving to Sheridan, Oregon in 2004.
Even after moving, Shelly continued to work as the CFO for both Thomas Home Center and Accrescent Institute, the nonprofit she and Tom founded, until her death.
But the professional accomplishment she was most proud of was when she obtained her own contractors license in 2020, at the age of 68.
Throughout her life, Shelly took joy in serving others. Actively, living out her belief that “once you give of yourself, without conditions, it will come back to you in many blessings. People like to receive a simple giving or caring moment from the heart…when it’s made by hand, and given in the moment, brings untold smiles and hugs.”
Professionally, she served a term as president of Eureka chapter of BPW (Business and Professional Women) and as a board member/director of Coast Central Credit Union.
Throughout her life, she and her husband actively supported organizations that support children and youth, especially youth sports, at-risk youth, and foster and adoptive families.
While a resident of Yamhill County, Oregon, she was active at Fendall School Community Center, the Buell Grange, and the McMinnville Grange, treasuring the friendships she made there.
She loved baking for fundraisers and potlucks, and took great joy when others enjoyed and requested her treats.
Music was an important part of Shelly‘s life, from high school choir to learning to play the guitar as a young adult. There was always music playing in the background. One of her and Tom‘s favorite date nights was to go listen and dance to live music.
She especially appreciated dancing to her favorite bands at the McMinnville Grange and the Buell Grange. The weekly family-friendly dances became a favorite activity to invite family and friends to come along and enjoy with her.
The way her Grange family accommodated and included her, no matter how she was feeling, was a precious gift that she deeply appreciated.
Shelly loved nature, and had a special place in her heart for the Pacific Ocean and the redwood trees of Humboldt County. The family cabin that her grandfather built in Swain’s Flat held special memories across the generations, and she loved spending time there with her children and extended family.
As a young couple, she and Tom spent their weekends away from work hiking, backpacking, and camping in the redwoods and mountains of Northern California with their family. Two of her favorite things were watching the ocean waves crashing over sand and rock, and sunlight filtering through the trees.
As a child, Shelly loved visiting her Great Uncle Frank’s dairy farm in Ferndale, and wished for animals and a farm of her own. While living on Humboldt Hill, she raised goats and supported her children’s 4-H projects and shared affinity for animals.
During the last 20 years of her life, she and Tom built a farm with llamas, alpacas, emus, sheep, chickens, and goats. She loved looking out over the fields and hills, watching the birds and farm animals, and taking special delight in their individual personalities and antics. Though, goat shenanigans often frustrated her.
Shelly loved to sew, bake, read, and spend time with her extended family. After a long day with numbers and paperwork, a quiet evening by the fire with a good book was her favorite way to relax.
Shelly dearly loved each of her children and grandchildren and found great joy in their individuality and hidden talents. She once wrote,
“Each child is a special joy. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl, it’s their unique personality…to recognize, develop, and find their hidden talents, encourage them, and enjoy their wins and losses as they grow.”
Michelle is survived by her husband Thomas C. Rector; her siblings and their spouses: Cynde and Brian Pelley, Kristine and Frank Clarkson, Elizabeth Allen, and Barbara Nichols; her children and their spouses: Shannon and Gregory Stoltz, Nathan and Tracey Rector, Lee Rector and Savana St. Aubin, and Danielle Rector Goretta; and her nine grandchildren: Katherine, Joshua, Zachary, Esther (Quincy), Nicholas, Lily, Alora, Liam, and Millicient.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Donald Bent, Beverly Bent Rector, and Carl Rector; her brother and sister-in-law, Patrick and Diane Bent; her daughters, Virginia and Dawn Rector, and her son, Cove Rector.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 5 pm Saturday, November 7th at the McMinnville Grange in McMinnville, Oregon. The family requests attendees wear bright colors or floral patterns in honor of Shelly.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to CASA of Del Norte https://casadn.org .