Denise Joan Anaya (69), fondly known and loved within her small community of Fortuna, passed away at home, surrounded by her closest loved ones on December 13, 2023. She was born in Compton on December 30, 1953 to Arthur and Joan Teasley. Soon they relocated to Fortuna, where their family grew, and eventually, Denise was the eldest of five siblings whom she loved and cared for like a second mother. Her father passed and it was just the six of them until her mother remarried Howard Hammers, who became their beloved father figure and raised them as his own.

She attended Fortuna Union High School, and it was there she met her now-husband, Henry. She often looked back fondly on those days at FUHS and loved retelling the shared memories she and Henry had from that time. She met many lifelong friends at Fortuna High. She was not only very sociable, funny, beautiful, approachable and made friends easily, but she was also an honor student, graduating at the top of her class. She was nominated by her peers for titles such as Dairy Princess and Student Council. She participated in many clubs and extracurriculars and was named “most versatile,” alongside Henry, their senior year. Leaving Humboldt County was never an option for her — her family, future husband, and her best friends were all she needed so that is where she remained. After high school, the sweethearts spent many years having fun being wild and carefree before marrying on August 23, 1986 on the Northern Queen in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. They welcomed their daughter, Cassi, the following year and their son, Spenser, four years later, and their family was complete.

Denise accomplished many amazing things in her life. She was a hard worker, made friends easily, and was fiercely witty and intelligent. She worked at Bowman’s Drug Store before moving to the banking industry, beginning with Bank of Loleta and quickly moving up the ladder becoming a manager at US Bank. She worked long days and was always keeping busy, but never too busy for her family. Eventually, she decided the banking industry did not allow for the time she desired with her kids, in addition to caring for her mother and visiting her grandmother. She went back to school and obtained her bookkeeping degree, going on to work for Linda’s Hallmark and accounting firm Wyatt and Whitchurch for many years.

Of all her accomplishments, her family was her most beloved. She never missed an opportunity to volunteer at school events, was always chaperoning field trips, and attended every soccer game, school performance and extracurricular. She was known as the “community mom” due to her warm demeanor and open-minded and open-door philosophy, always welcoming friends and family whenever they needed anything — a place to stay, a warm meal, prom dresses or back-to-school clothes. She anonymously paid school lunch debts, gave rides to practices and soccer, football and basketball games, and would work into the late evening to do so. She used bonuses from work to take her family (and sometimes friends) on epic vacations, Disney World being her favorite of them all, her happy place.

Denise lived a full and joyful life until a devastating car accident left her paralyzed November 3, 2011. She nearly lost many battles over her time fighting for her life at Santa Rosa Hospital. But she beat the odds and awoke from her coma on November 11, 2011. She continued to celebrate this day every year, saying she felt it was the start of her “second life.” Following her accident, the community came together to support her and her family, raising funds to assist in her transition home in a beautiful fundraiser put together by her family and Cassi’s close friends, whom she considered her “other” daughters. This sustained her husband and kids while they moved from hotel to hotel to be close to her as she recovered, in addition to making their home handicap-friendly and helping pay for essential medical equipment. We will forever be amazed by their compassion and the sacrifices our community made for us at that time.

We were blessed with 12 more years with her after that. She maintained her independence, and for most of the 12 years she was happy and healthy, she didn’t let her accident define her, she shined with positivity and grace. She was an inspiration. We often referred to her as a “local celebrity” as we couldn’t go anywhere without her seeing a dozen people she knew and was happy to catch up with. She traveled, gardened, and walked her dog in between doctor appointments and physical therapy, but her favorite way to pass her time was with her grandbabies. Her primary goal, written on her whiteboard in rehabilitation at UC Davis, was to “hold her future grandbabies,” and she did, often and without complaint. She attended their baseball and soccer games, their school performances and award ceremonies. Every breath she took was for those kids.

When it became apparent her time was limited, her kids attempted to repay her limitless generosity by taking her back to Disney World. It was a dream they were determined to make a reality, and although it was difficult, her health dwindling, they took her back to her happy place in November 2022 to celebrate her 11th “second chance anniversary.” She got to ride the Jungle Cruise again, shop on Main Street USA, and have a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Sandwich watching the fireworks, not only with her husband and kids but with her grandkids. It was a very special time that will be remembered as our fondest memory all together.

Unfortunately, after returning from Florida, after over a decade of defying the odds, her health started to decline more rapidly, and she was once again fighting for her life. Her last few years were spent in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. She beat COVID-19, pneumonia and sepsis multiple times, often all at once. She had many surgeries and treatments but ultimately, it was pneumonia that took her from us, though it had tried and failed many times prior. She wouldn’t give up, regardless of the prognosis or diagnosis. She was determined to stay with us as long as possible, and she stayed true to that promise until the very end, once again defying the odds and surprising us all.

Denise was special. She was often seen flying down Fortuna Boulevard in her bright pink wheelchair with her beloved husky, Koda, in tow; not a care in the world, just happy to be in the sunshine. Anyone who was blessed to know her understood she was a beacon of strength, determination, and positivity. She lived by the motto “Let it Be,” and never complained or lessened her grip on the joy of life and the gift of second chances. She loved hard and unconditionally, she gave everything she had to others, and she stepped up when others wouldn’t or couldn’t. Even when she was vulnerable and her body tired, she led with grace and love and radiated empathy and compassion. Her smile could light up the darkest, and her energy warm, the coldest of days. She never judged; she didn’t hold grudges. She never turned down the opportunity to make someone else’s day better, even at her own expense; but you would never know, she would ensure that. She didn’t expect anything in return for her acts of kindness or good deeds, she felt a sense of obligation to carry others’ grief and hardships, regardless of the circumstances. Everyone was a friend, and everyone deserved 100% of her, whether it was reciprocated or not. To know Denise was truly to love her – and she loved back, powerfully.

She is preceded in death by her father, Arthur Teasley, mother, Joan Hammers (née Vanduzer), sister Rebecca “Becky” Davy (nee Teasley), and stepfather Howard Hammers. She is survived by her loving husband of 37 years, Henry G. Anaya, Jr., her children, Cassandra “Cassi” Anaya-Bishop (Ryan), and Spenser Anaya (Kari), grandchildren Noah and Sawyer Rose Bishop and Kaliahna and Talon Anaya, and siblings Susan Teasley (Monica), Will Teasley, and Scott Teasley (Leslie), as well as multiple brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews which she considered, loved and raised as her own.

We are sincerely grateful to all those who supported and helped care for Denise not only in her final days but since her devastating accident. It is apparent how truly loved she was and the outpouring of sympathy that we have received is amazing and has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. Please know, that if you have reached out and not received a response, we have read all your letters, notes, and messages, and we have listened to every voicemail. Denise was very loved, by very many, and this has been quite a devastating loss for our family; we are just taking the necessary time to grieve this amazing person we held so dear: a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and best friend to all.

We would like to thank her long-time doctor, Donald Baird, her surgeon, Dr. Pardoe, Hospice of Humboldt, and the many nurses and staff who took such wonderful care of her during her stays at St. Joseph Hospital and the Ida Emmerson Hospice House.

A service has been planned for February 18, 2024, at the River Lodge in Fortuna beginning at 2 p.m. with an open-house-style celebration of life to follow until 6 p.m. Accommodations can be made at the Best Western Hotel on Riverwalk Drive, across from the River Lodge.

We request any donations be made to Hospice of Humboldt, as we attribute the borrowed time we had with her to their amazing care and support in her last days. Hospice House and the nurses, aides and social workers who held our hands through the end we will be forever indebted to and equally grateful.

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