John Edward Livingston passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, in Eureka, on December 14, 2024.

John was born in Eureka on November 28, 1937 to Edward and Dorothy Livingston. Except for a stint in the military, John lived his whole life in Eureka. It was here that he took an early interest in all things mechanical. He honed his skills as a mechanic by working on friends’ and relatives’ cars, trucks, and boats. He was known to help most anyone with car problems. In high school, John enjoyed taking auto shop classes from his favorite teacher, Charlie Dryer. John remembered that Charlie sometimes let him drive the Cat, while working on the Albee Stadium field and also doing some grading at the mouth of Elk River. John and his friends also had their own car club at Eureka High. Two years after high school, John found his dream job. He was hired as a heavy duty diesel mechanic at Callison Truck Lines. There he made many lifelong friends as well as being mentored by some of the best mechanics around.

In 1962, John was drafted into the army and headed off to basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After basic, John was sent to New Mexico to train and work on missile fuselages as an atomic weapons specialist. After three years, John was honorably discharged as a SPC-4. He returned to Humboldt County just in time to help deal with the devastation of the 1965 flood. John also returned to his old job at Callisons. He renewed friendships with his coworkers, especially one named Sparky. After a few years, Callisons was bought by Nielson Freight Lines and John worked there until it closed its doors in the 1980s. Then John started his own business, J & S Repair. Besides walk in clients, John had several truck maintenance accounts, one being with the Humboldt Fire District. But John soon tired of self-employment and found a job with Eureka City Schools as a mechanic for their buses and other vehicles. He was well liked by all the drivers and staff and soon found himself in charge of the bus garage for the several years until his retirement.

In 1965, John married Mary Frances Kutil. They had one son, Frank D Livingston. Mary and John divorced after a few years, but remained friends until Mary’s death earlier this year. In 1978, John married Sherry St. Clair. They had one son, John E. Livingston, Jr. John also became the father of Sherry’s two boys, Clyde and Eugene, and he treated the two as his own.

Growing up in Humboldt County, John enjoyed many outdoor activities, especially hunting. Duck hunting was one passion. Before he was old enough to drive, he and some friends would catch an early morning city bus wearing their hunting clothes and carrying their shotguns. The friendly bus driver would drop them off at a Eureka wharf so they could rent a skiff and row out in the bay to hunt. Deer hunting was John’s other passion. He would hunt with his best friend, Alvin “Bud” Tompkins and Bud’s father, Herman and a favorite uncle, John MacMillen. Often, Herman would drop the boys off on South Fork Mt. near Horse Ridge Lookout. They would stay a week, camping, hunting, and riding motorcycles.In retirement, John and Bud took John’s sons and grandsons deer hunting at a hunting camp near Deer Lick Springs. John also took the boys duck hunting on Humboldt Bay. He even helped his sons build a floating duck blind out of an old wooden boat. John loved hunting brant and was a gifted brant caller. Fellow hunters thought he was the best caller they had ever heard.

John helped his best friend, Bud, build an ocean going fishing boat. Bud built the boat, but John made it run. The carpenter and the mechanic made quite a pair. They named the boat the O’Nansea and enjoyed many hours of fishing and crabbing. Son Frank takes the O’Nansea out fishing to this day.

In later life, John became a true San Francisco Giants fan. He would watch most every game with his beloved dog, Heidi. John loved all animals and had numerous pets (too many to count) over the years. Heidi will miss John more than we will ever know. John was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Dorothy Livingston, special uncle, John MacMillen, loving wife, Sherry Livingston, and several other dear friends and relatives.

John is survived by brother Bill Livingston (Pat), son Frank Livingston (Michelle),Son John Livingston Jr. (Adrienne), son Eugene Livingston (Rachel), son Clyde Livingston, nephew Chris Livingston and sons Jared and Benjamin, grandchildren Bradley Livingston, Hunter Toland, and Rachael Livingston, and numerous friends, family, and coworkers, and most important, his beloved dog Heidi.

Funeral Services are being arranged through Sanders Funeral Home. Visitation at Sanders will be Friday, December 27 from 11 AM to 12 Noon. The funeral will be at Sanders on December 27 at 12:00 Noon. A veteran’s internment will follow at Sunset Cemetery. Pall Bearers will be Dan Wheeler, Frank Kutil, Bradley Livingston, John Livingston Jr, Don MacMillen, Mike Griffin, Hunter Toland.

The family would like to thank the staff at Provident St. Joseph Hospital for the special care they gave John these past few weeks.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial contributions to Sequoia Humane Society, 6073 Loma Ave, Eureka CA 95503 or to any local non-profit.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of John Livingston’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.