Sharon Levy died on December 30, 2024 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Eureka at age 65. She was born in Chicago, Illinois. There she attended Metro High School – an experimental “school without walls” which attracted diverse public high school students from every corner of the city. She attended Oberlin College, then University of Illinois, graduating with a degree in biology. Heading west, she attended Oregon State University, where in 1988 she completed a Master of Science degree in toxicology.

In the summer of 1988, she went to work as a seasonal wildlife biologist in the Hayfork district of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. There Sharon met Hugh Scanlon, who was working as a seasonal forestry technician for the US Forest Service. At the end of the season, Sharon returned to Oregon State as a laboratory technician and Hugh followed. Then Sharon followed Hugh to Fort Bragg when he accepted a permanent position working for CALFIRE.

While in Fort Bragg, Sharon worked as a field biologist for several consulting firms, including Buckberg & Associates, Mad River Biologists, and CH2M Hill. Her primary work was conducting field surveys of spotted owls, but also included wetlands restoration research. Sharon also began to write science-focused articles for magazines as a freelance writer. One of her first publications was an article about the Arcata Marsh, for the United Airlines in-flight magazine Hemispheres.

In Spring 1991, Sharon Levy and Hugh Scanlon were married on the Mendocino headlands. They were married for 33 years. In 1994, Hugh’s employment brought him to the CALFIRE Fortuna office. Sharon and Hugh moved to Arcata. She quickly found roles as a wildlife biologist, working for Dave Nielsen on the staff of Pacific Northwest Biological for several years. Sharon also continued publishing as a science writer.

In 1999, Sharon was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She had a long, hard battle with the disease, but was cancer-free by 2001. She decided to step away from the rigors of field biology and focus on her passion for writing. She became quite accomplished, writing for many publications including Audubon, Bioscience, High Country News, Undark, OnEarth, and Knowable magazines. Topics included: native bees, bird conservation in Hawai’i, the reintroduction of condors in the Bald Hills, and the aboriginal use of fire in the Australian outback. Several of her articles can be found at her website, SharonLevy.net.

In 2004, Sharon became a mother. She and Hugh adopted Maya Scanlon, who was then ten months old and living in an orphanage near Chongqing, China. Sharon was a good mom and was dedicated to Maya. The family has many friends in the Humboldt adoption community. In 2014, the family took a trip back to China with other families that had ties to the same orphanage.

Sharon’s two books were published through Oxford University Press. Her first book “Once and Future Giants” looked at the extinction of megafauna in several area around the world, and potential lessons for future megafauna restoration. She also wrote “The Marsh Builders” which explored the importance of wetlands, and detailed the unique history of the Arcata Marsh and the area’s wastewater treatment.

Sharon was a musician. She loved to sing and play banjo. Sharon was also a quilter. She was an avid bird watcher. She loved to hike and enjoyed backpacking. She would go rowing in a single racing scull as a member of the Humboldt Bay Rowing Association. She would paddleboard at Big Lagoon. And she loved walking her dog Amos, often for 3-5 miles a day.

Sharon was active in the volunteer community. She led walks at the Arcata Marsh for Friends of the Marsh, and at the Samoa dunes for Friends of the Dunes. She also volunteered to walk dogs at the Humboldt County Animal Shelter.

Sharon is survived by her husband, Hugh Scanlon, daughter Maya Scanlon, brother David Levy (Carolina Chia), nephew Ethan, and cousin Elisa Callow. She was preceded in death by her sister Paula Levy, and parents Sol and Florence Levy of Chicago.

A celebration of life for Sharon Levy will be held on February 15, 2025, 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 24 Fellowship Way, Bayside. Acquaintances, friends and family are welcome to join us.

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