Kristin Starkey
June 27, 1972 - March 29, 2023

Kristin Starkey, 50, passed away peacefully on March 29 in Redding, following a seven-month struggle with heart complications and stroke. She faced her struggle bravely, and even up until the end, she remained the sweet, kind person that everyone knew her to be.

Kristin was a proud member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe and was affiliated by blood with several other California tribes, as well as tribes in the Dakotas and Minnesota. She was born and raised on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation, where she graduated from high school, and worked at various tribal entities. More recently, she achieved her bachelor’s of science degree in psychology from Liberty College, and was planning on pursuing further education.

Kristin enjoyed spending time with her family and traveling, especially to the Redwoods and Oregon coast. She had a lifelong love of animals and kept pets over the years. Kristin also embraced technology — she was very tech-savvy and was active on social media. She was always very friendly, kept a good sense of humor, and had a smile for everyone. She made friends very easily, and was the kind of person who was fun to be around.

Another important aspect of Kristin’s life was her faith. She was a born-again Christian and was active in her church. She was a blessing to her church family, whom she deeply cherished.

She is survived by her parents, Frank and Karen Starkey; her twin sister Carrie Amankwah (Francis); her sister Debra Starkey (Robert Cox); and her nieces Alexis Jeska and Mazie Cox. She was preceded in death by her brother Frank Starkey, Jr., with whom she is joyfully reunited.

Kristin was an important part of our family, to whom her life brought endless joy, laughter, and love. Even in our devastation in losing her, our entire family remembers to feel grateful that we were blessed to have her in our lives, and she will be remembered most lovingly and dearly.

The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for all the countless prayers, words of encouragement and support expressed to Kristin and the entire family.

A special thank you to all the surgeons and staff at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, and the nursing and technical staff at Vibra Hospital in Redding for their care of Kristin, and for allowing us a little more precious time with her.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Paul’s Chapel in Arcata. A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 15, 2023, at the First Baptist Church in Hoopa (Loop Road) at 1 p.m., Pastor Guy Ziegenbein officiating.

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