John Wesley Yagotin of Eureka passed away, with loved ones at his side, on Friday, April 19, 2024, at Eureka’s Providence St. Joseph’s Hospital, following a brief illness. He was 72.

John was first-born to Philip and Connie Yagotin of San Francisco. John enjoyed many adventures as a young boy in the Bay Area suburbs in the 1950s and ‘60s. Summer was never long enough for John as he spent his time exploring and hiking in the nearby parks and beaches, where he developed a life-long love of the outdoors. John’s appreciation of the beauty and tranquility of nature led him to call Humboldt County his home for over 40 years.

He was a man of many talents and interests, excelling in various fields and always eager to learn something new. His curiosity and passion drove him to explore different subjects, from international cooking and music, to science, religion and classic literature. John felt most at home in the great outdoors and often said that standing surrounded by the towering redwoods was to him, standing nearer to the Creator. He was a true outdoor enthusiast, and a family camping legend who brightened every adventure with his cleverness and practicality. He enjoyed playing the guitar, both acoustic and electric, and more recently began playing the ukulele. John was active and fit well in to his 70s, and took enjoyment in riding his bike across town to and from work, as the weather permitted.

Over the past 50 years John had a varied career path that spanned the newspaper industry, finance and retail. For many years, John had his own computer repair business. Most recently he was a part of the dedicated team at Eureka’s Albee & Buck Wholesale Distributors.

John is survived by his loving partner for the past 24 years, Susan Gillespie; his two children of his first marriage, son Jesse Yagotin (Elizabeth) and daughter Jill Adams (Jason); twin daughters from his second marriage, Lauren Parker (Robert) and Amy Mixer (Jason); and step-children Bryan Gillespie (Melissa), Elise Mohr (Jon Paul), and Christiane Adams (Chase). John is also survived by his sister Phyllis Branam of Oregon, and sixteen grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his mother, Constance Reno; step-father Arthur Reno; father, Philip Yagotin; and step-mother, Charlotte Yagotin.

John’s family would like to acknowledge appreciation for the care provided by Dr. Tony Anagnostou, Dr. Dusten Macdonald, and the compassionate medical and administrative team at Providence.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date, at one of the local redwood parks that were so dear to John.