June 16, 1950- August 28, 2025
Brent Twoomey, Humboldt County horticultural entrepreneur, Rolling Stones super-fan, and fierce protector of Northern California’s natural resources, passed away on August 28 in Tiburon after a long illness. He was 75.
Born June 16, 1950, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Brent was the third of four sons of Frances and Vincent Twoomey. The family eventually settled in Marin County in the early 1960s, where Brent came of age during the height of the counterculture.
Brent graduated from Redwood High in 1968, working numerous jobs while immersing himself in the music and spirit of the era. He saw Janis Joplin grocery shopping and went to fifty Rolling Stones concerts, including Altamont, as well as countless Van Morrison shows. Brent was a familiar face at Marin’s iconic Lion’s Share, where Bill Champlin’s Sons of Champlin often played.
In the 1970s, Brent moved north with his brother Bruce, drawn to the beauty of Trinidad and the surrounding redwood forests and to attend Humboldt State University. He became a developer, one who believed in blending structures with the natural environment. His work to protect the Mill Creek Watershed was one of his proudest accomplishments.
Through the late 1970s and 80s, Brent and his brothers expanded transportation services in the region, supporting the public, tourism, and the safe movement of federal and state firefighters. Later, his entrepreneurial spirit led to the creation of the Humboldt Composting Company and the Guano Company, pioneering fertilizer and plant nutrition products that became staples of the local economy.
Beyond work, Brent gave back to his community, planting rhododendrons, advocating for civic improvements, and hiking every Redwood National and State Parks trail. In later years, he found peace in Washington’s San Juan Islands, where he delighted in the Madrona trees, deer, orcas, and sunsets over Haro Strait.
Brent made friends wherever he went and will be remembered for his humor, generosity, and vision. He is survived by his brother, Brad, of Trinidad, and by Sarah Mae Galligan, his devoted companion and confidant, and her daughters, Cocora and Lotus Low, whom he adored and with whom he shared many precious years of his life.
Brent also leaves behind his extended family at Guano Co., a dedicated team that worked alongside him to carry forward the legacy of his lifelong passion for cultivation, stewardship, and the natural world.
A Celebration of Life will be held on October 18 at the Trinidad Town Hall from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m.. Further information is available by emailing celebration@guano.com
Donations to continue Brent’s environmental work can be made at his page at the Save the Redwoods League.