November 19, 1952-January 2, 2026
Darlene “Weedie” Nunes of Roseville, CA, passed away in her sleep on January 2nd, 2026, at the age of 73.
Weedie was born on November 19th, 1952, in Eureka, CA. She grew up in Ferndale, CA, where she graduated from Ferndale High School in 1970. During her time in Ferndale, she worked at many places, including Humboldt Creamery, The Palace, J&W Liquors, and Rosie’s Drive-in. She went on to attend College of the Redwoods before moving to the Bay Area and obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Sciences for Management Information Systems from San Jose State University in 1995. She then settled in Roseville, CA, and used her degree to start a career as a computer scientist at Hewlett-Packard before retiring from the California Department of Insurance.
In her free time, Weedie’s favorite thing to do was spend time with family and friends, sharing stories and laughing. Her laugh and smile were contagious and will be missed by all who knew her. She was an amazing pool player, which earned her dozens of trophies that are still displayed at her family’s home on Grizzly Bluff Road. She also enjoyed spending time with her beloved dogs, cooking, card games, and during her final years joined a local bocce ball league.
Weedie was predeceased by her parents, John and Lily Nunes, and her brother-in-law, David Olesen.
She is survived by her older sister Linda Nunes Olesen, niece Teri Olesen Foster (Scott), and nephew Scott Olesen (Mary), along with great nephews Kyle Foster and Dylan Foster and great niece Sami Olesen, all of Napa, CA.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Portuguese Hall of Ferndale, located at 355 Ocean Ave, Ferndale, CA 95536, on Saturday, February 21st at 11 AM.
Reading about Darlene Nunes’ early life and the many local spots she worked at in Ferndale, like Humboldt Creamery and The Palace, really grounds her story in the North Coast community. It’s touching to see those familiar local names mentioned in an obituary. I wonder what her favorite memory from working at Rosie’s Drive-in might have been.