October 20, 2015 was a beautiful fall day. The sun was shining and bright, fluffy clouds slowly passed by.  Neil Diamond was playing and Jason had finally arrived from Boise. He drove and she had waited.  We held her hands and told it was ok.  It was time. We told her she could let go and she did. Hanne Heilmann took her last breath and began her new journey and we tell the kids that she’s gone to see her parents, Hans and Mary Frost, her husband of 40 years, Tom, and her in-laws Bob and Reba.

We are still here. Her sister, Nanci Parshall, her daughter, Heidi Parker, her son, Jason, their spouses Andy and Tyffani, her grandchildren, Dylan, Shay, Natalie and Bill, her niece Emily and nephew, Hans and his wife Laura.

Hanne was one of a kind. She’d gone through a lot in the last years: a broken neck, the death of her spouse and her cancer diagnosis.  She went through treatment and it gave her more time but it also changed her, as it changes everyone who learns how they will die. She spent more time with friends and loved ones.  She went out to lunch… a lot.  She played chess, bingo and mahjong. She bought a new car. She went to Boise. She had fun.

She was the secretary at South Bay School and was known there as Miss Hanne.  So many of her friends worked with her there throughout the years. Many of those years Hanne helped with the planning of the Author Festival and this year would be no different.  When the event arrived, she was involved every day and even though she was tired, she pushed through.  On Saturday, she took a car load of Authors on a car ride through the Avenue of the Giants and they loved it. Hanne, you did it. You made it through.

She will miss our trip to Maui, but we will take her with us. She will be part of the island and she will be part of Trinity Village and she will be a part of us all forever. She was one of a kind.

A memorial for Hanne will be held in the very near future. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the the Cancer Society or to the Sequoia Humane Society.  We want to thank all of her friends for being there for her and sending her prayers and well wishes and for being a part of her life. We also want to thank the staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital for the great care they took with Hanne and Dr. Michael Fratkin and his Nurse Practitioner, Karen Ayers, with their guidance to the end. Hanne was truly one of a kind. She will be missed.

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The obituary above was submitted by Hanne Heilmann’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.