Obituaries

Noel Hilliard passed away at the age of 77 from complications of Parkinson’s.  His life’s work began over half a century ago with the founding of Lamps by Hilliard.  After graduating from Humboldt State University with his art degree, Noel and his wife, Janene, started Lamps by Hilliard in their backyard in Arcata.  They created […]

“The work of a teacher is never truly finished. Long after the classroom grows quiet, the lessons continue in the lives they have changed.” Arthur John Bettini (“Art”) — teacher, historian, mentor, outdoorsman, academic leader, devoted husband, and cherished friend — passed away peacefully on May 11, 2026, at the age of 87. For nearly […]

Clare Bugenig passed away peacefully on July 4, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family after a courageous four-and-a-half-month battle following a spinal cord injury. He was 71 years old. Always a firecracker in life, it was somehow fitting that Clare went out with a bang. Clare was born on April 13, 1955, in […]

It was difficult not to be joyful when you were with her. Joan Dempsey Sanborn was born on October 2, 1927, on the Baie de Chaleurs, the north shore of New Brunswick, Canada, to Wilbur and Mildred Dempsey. As the middle child of thirteen, Joan attributed her small stature to being “squished from both sides”. […]

Mary Hester Sanger passed away on June 4, 2026, at the age of 76. She leaves behind a legacy of compassion, resilience, and a profound love for her family, her community, and the natural beauty of Humboldt County. Mary devoted much of her life to caring for others, working for many years as a nurse […]

Robert Keith Nicholson was born October 8, 1980, and passed May 28, 2026, at the too young age of 45. Robbie was a lifelong resident of Humboldt County, growing up and living in Ferndale. He attended Ferndale Elementary School and was the first student to graduate from Ferndale High School with a commercial driver’s license. […]

Charlotte Joanne (Hackett) Michel was born June 3, 1936 and passed peacefully on June 19, 2026.  She was the third daughter and middle child of George William Hackett and Bertha Josephine (McAllister) Hackett.  She was a descendent of the Hackett, McAllister, Kemp, Hindley and Roscoe families, early settlers that homesteaded, dairyed and ranched in the […]

Marlene J. West (known to many of us as Marla) passed away peacefully at Frye’s Care Home on the evening of March 27, 2026 at the age of 92. She had touched many peoples’ lives throughout her long life and was visited frequently by close friends and devoted family members in her final days. Marla […]

Dennis Frank Shaha passed away on May 23, 2026, following a short and sudden illness at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, surrounded by his family. He was 75 years old. Dennis was born on December 19, 1950, in Scotia, California, to Leonard and Ernestine Shaha. He grew up in Ferndale, where he attended […]

Douglas Horace Hay passed on July 6, 2025, of congestive heart failure at Mad River Community Hospital in Arcata, California. He resided with our cousin, Michael Brasher, in Arcata.  Born on July 18, 1958, at Tanner Memorial Hospital in Carrollton, Georgia, the third child of loving parents, Melba and William Hay, and the little brother […]

Joan Peavey Hughes, age 76, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of wisdom, love, and healing. Born in Menlo Park, California, to the late Frank and Ellen Peavey, Joan grew up in the Bay Area. She and her husband of 53 years, Clifford Hughes, ditched the Bay Area for the Sierra Foothills, eloped in […]

It is with profound sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Frank Speck, age 72, on March 28, 2026 in Eureka, California. He was out doing something he loved when he left this world, riding his bike along the Bayfront Trail. Born June 23rd 1953 in Liverpool, England, Frank was known locally for his […]