The lovely and fun-loving Holly Hunt passed away peacefully with her family nearby on April 19, 2022.

Holly was the middle child of Sandra Shearer Hunt and Dr. V. Everett Hunt. A fourth generation Arcata resident, Holly grew up in Sunny Brae, attending Jacoby Creek and Arcata High Schools.

While growing up, Holly was a natural people person, fitting in effortlessly with people she would meet. She was energetic, charismatic, generous, and kind. At Arcata High she engaged in musical productions, cheerleading, student government, and community service. Upon graduation she was awarded both the White Sweater/Blanket Award for overall outstanding participation in academics, activities, and leadership, as well as the Evelyn Fielding Award for excellence in athletics.

In 1971, she left the rain-soaked North Coast for sunny San Diego, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing with an unofficial minor in Socializing Studies from San Diego State University. There, she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority and developed strong friendships that she maintained through her life.

Holly was a nurse for 35 years, practicing first at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and then at St. Vincent Hospital in Portland. She thoroughly enjoyed her work helping patients and she found great meaning in collaborating with her colleagues. She found success not only in her consistent effort, but by standing on the shoulders of those she respected. Her work community was like family to her, and she maintained many close relationships with colleagues even after she retired.

Though Holly had no children of her own, she treated her nieces and nephews like daughters and sons. She developed unique relationships with each of them. Holly assisted in the delivery of Alexis and was the first to hold her. It was always a great adventure to be with Aunt Holly. She was energetic and fun, and she had a spicy (and sometimes wicked) sense of humor. She took her young nieces shopping, did their makeup and French-braided their hair. They adored her, and greatly miss her presence in their lives.

Holly also took great joy in her special relationship with step-daughters Emily and Joanna Lacter. Holly was kind and generous and helped raise them with love. She shared life lessons on treating others with respect, creating moments of fun, and provided encouragement to be brave and try new things. Holly was a beautiful example of a strong woman and loving mom.

No discussion about Holly would be complete without mentioning her amazing generosity to other people. The examples of her giving support to others in need are numerous. Perhaps she is best known for close relationships with her dogs. They were a very large part of her life.

Sadly, Holly passed away at the age of 69 from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Her disease robbed her of her cherished memories with the people she loved. Holly knew when she called me in the fall of 2011 to tell me about her diagnosis, exactly what course her life would follow going forward. Over the last 11 years, Holly had to experience a constant decline in the quality of her life. Fortunately, Holly was peaceful when everyone around her felt hopeless and a need to protect her. We wanted to defend the memory of the person she wanted to be remembered as. That was the Holly at the top of her potential. Thanks for knowing her like that and for understanding how hard she worked to maintain her kindness and upbeat personality. Those 11 years sucked the life out of her. We hope that, inside, she was mining those amazing Holly memories, because at the end of the day that is all you have that you value. And the thought that she couldn’t find them is the saddest thing of all.

The best of Holly may yet to be seen. In the last chapter of the Book of Holly, our thoughts and memories will not be sad obstacles that dissolve over time, but rather recognition of how her qualities affect the way we interact with the people in our own lives. We will all have some tomorrows that will be rough, but Holly showed how these days can be managed with grace.

Holly is survived by her siblings, Heidi Hunt Kagarakis (Frank) and brother Howard Hunt (Jan); her beloved nieces and nephews, Courtney Hunt Munther (Jeff), Amy Hunt (Adrian Kamada), Ryan Kagarakis (Kim), Alexis Kagarakis, and Cameron Hunt (s.o. Nicole Green); great-niece and nephews Miles and Grayson Munther, Avery Kamada, and Savannah Kagarakis; and step-daughters Emily Lacter Maxey and Joanna Lacter Fonk.

Holly was preceded in death by her parents, Sandra and Everett Hunt, and by her life partner of more than 30 years, Dr. Daniel Dennis. Holly’s family will host a celebration of life on Saturday, May 14 at 10 a.m. that will be accessible by Zoom. If you are interested in participating or watching, please email howeird@sbcglobal.net or text (707) 845 6618 to receive the link.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the following charities:

Portland Animal Welfare Team (PAW Team); https://pawteam.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/pawteam/donation.jsp

Sequoia Humane Sociey; https://sequoiahumane.org/donateSHS

The Alzheimer’s Association; https://alz.org/donate

referencing: Holly Hunt, 2161 Golf Course Road, Bayside, CA 95524.