Dennis Lee Lyon, age 76, of Fortuna, passed away on February 15, 2025, at his home, surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren. Dennis was born on February 13, 1949, in Arcata to Betty Lucille Vogel and George Echols Lyon. Dennis graduated from Arcata High School and spent almost 30 years working at Louisiana Pacific at both the Samoa and Big Lagoon sawmills. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Donna Lyon; his son Jamie Lyon (Rachel); his daughter Stacey Costa (Roland); grandchildren Matthew Ware, Ashley Lyon and Katelyn Costa; as well as his great-grandchildren, Ian, Colton, Oliver and Grace.

Dennis was proceeded in death by his parents Betty and George; his brothers Daniel Lyon, Marvin Lyon, Eddie Lyon and Chris Colebank. Eddie, Chris and Dennis all passed away within one year of each other.

Dennis was a loving and honorable man, whose world revolved around his wife and family. He enjoyed helping people and was an extremely hard worker. He loved to play practical jokes and laugh, he enjoyed wood-working, gardening, fishing, going to the lake, taking drives into the mountains, spending time outdoors and learning about history. Dennis was a wonderful storyteller and has written many children’s stories and books for his family.

Dennis and Donna had a wonderful marriage. They enjoyed dancing and gardening together, and when their kids were young they hosted many school dances for them and their classmates, cleaning up the sawmill cookhouse, hanging lights and playing music, just like the movie “Footloose.”

When Dennis was 46 years old he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The tumor could not be completely removed, and he continued to have surgeries and procedures as a result of the tumor for the rest of his life. Dennis then faced many health challenges. Most of his health issues and the treatments that Dennis faced in his life were life-threatening, but you never would have known it from his cheerful and positive disposition. If you didn’t know he was sick, and didn’t see the scars, you probably wouldn’t have known there was anything wrong with him. Whenever he was recovering from a surgery, he would look for his wife Donna, who was always right there. The first thing to return was always his ability to say, “I love you,” followed closely by his manners, saying “please” and “thank you” to his family, the nurses and doctors. He was known for allowing medical students to practice procedures on him and always exceeding everyone’s expectations for how quickly he recovered. His family would often tease a new nurse the first time they would take him for a walk after surgery, expecting he would move slowly, they would say, “Get ready, he doesn’t walk, he runs to recover.” His wife Donna, was his hero, always a champion for his medical issues and always right beside him. Watching them love and care for one another was a beautiful honor. Dennis fought his last battle in the form of a brain cancer and a stroke. Complications and setbacks arose which he could not overcome this time. He died in his home, surrounded by loved ones, at the age of 76, which was a miracle in and of itself, and he knew it. He never took a single day for granted, always saying what needed to be said, he showed his love openly. He faced his passing with acceptance and love, which is all any of us could ever hope for.

The family would like to thank all of the doctors, nurses and medical professionals that cared for him over the years, many of them quite literally performing miracles to save him. This includes a very special thanks to his neurosurgeon Dr. Mitchel Berger and his team at UCSF. Many of the people who cared for Dennis became like family and checked in on him regularly. If it wasn’t for them, we would have lost him many years ago, and for that his family is forever grateful.

A gathering of friends and family is being planned for July 12 at Sue-Meg State Park in Patrick’s Point, among the trees that he loved, to honor his memory. If you would like to honor Dennis’s memory, please do a random act of kindness. We would love to hear how you all chose to honor him.

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