It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Vicki Lovae Grant-Hanif.

Vicki was born February 25, 1958 at the old hospital in Hoopa to Byron “Bones” Sr. & Eileen Grant. She started her journey home on March 12, 2025 and passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends.

Vicki was a 1976 graduate of Hoopa Valley High School and went on to attend College of the Redwoods. While in high school Vicki participated in cheerleading, showing her larger-than-life spirit as the school mascot, she was also crowned basketball homecoming queen, named class character, was an honor student, and graduated in the top of her class. While in school Vicki also participated in track, basketball, softball, and volleyball and was given the rare honor of a Presidential Fitness Award for her strength and athleticism. After school Vicki used this strength to be able to work alongside her dad setting chokers in the woods. She would go on to work for the Apple Tree Project, helping to protect the local fruit trees, and eventually settled into caring for elders in home health, and spending her days on the road as a flagger in the construction industry. Vicki also shared her indomitable spirit with the local youth as a cheer coach and mentor, this carried over into her later years as she supported her children and grandchildren in sports.

Vicki was as strong as they come and was a natural-born leader, she moved through life with a tough exterior but a kind and generous soul. As a child she was given the nickname “Iron Man” by her Uncle Bud Gray. A bit of a tomboy, growing up she was known to not back down from a fight and could often be found challenging her male cousins, and sometimes classmates, and winning. Vicki was a passionate, sassy, spitfire of a woman. She was also a very loving and spiritual woman, who saw the world through that lens and felt these things deeply. A self- proclaimed “rockologist,” finding and collecting many beautiful rocks and crystals throughout her life, she believed in the power of stones for their cleansing and healing properties. A wise and knowing woman, she contributed to her culture through art, regalia making, and mentoring. Many of her paintings were lovingly given to her family, and her necklaces will live on to dance for many years to come.

Above all things though, Vicki was a protector, she was fiercely protective of those she loved, if you were in her circle you knew she would be there if you ever had need of her. She was generous with everyone she knew, always had an open door if you needed a place to stay, and took special care to look in on our elders and provide for anyone in need, even if it meant she went without.

Vicki lived life to the fullest. She especially loved classic muscle cars, her first car was a 1976 Mach 1 Mustang, affectionately called Bumblebee, through the years she always had one fast car or another. Vicki also loved to the fullest, her heart was big and her capacity to love was great. No one felt this more than her family and siblings, her children and grandchildren, she was so happy to be “Granny” and was immensely proud of her girls and grandbabies. Born into a boat racing family, Vicki also loved going to the races to cheer for her Dad, and later her brother Newt, she never missed a race, nor the chance to show her love and support for her siblings.

For her own family, Vicki was the rock. The center of their universe, she was their guide, their provider, and their strongest support. Vicki’s family began shortly after high school when she met her first love Gordon McCovey. Vicki and Gordon settled and made their life on the mountain on Deer Horn Road. Together they had two beautiful girls, Tek-Wes and Nins (Lovae), and with the help of family and friends, built a beautiful log cabin. A true homestead, they also built a pond, had a garden, raised chickens and ducks, and were in many ways self-sufficient. As lovely as this time was, it was not to last forever. Vicki and Gordon eventually parted ways but always remained good friends. Vicki went on to meet, and marry the love of her life, Ted Cole.

Vicki and Ted were married until Ted’s passing in April of 2019. Together they made their home by the river in Hoopa. It was here that Vicki would live out the rest of her life, many happy years they had there together. Ted, the master tinker, kept everything running while Vicki created a beautiful home, gardened, went to bingo, and fed the bear at the “sino bino.” Above all they loved to travel to the hydroplane races to support her beloved brother Newt and the family legacy X-15. Ted supported Vicki in this in every way, contributing his talents as the mechanic of the boat and chief boat holder, always in Newt’s corner.

Vicki was heartbroken when Ted passed, but was given another friend in life years later when she met and married Muhammad Hanif in 2023. Muhammad made Vicki’s last years happy and comfortable.

Vicki was rich in love and carried the brightest light, she will live on in our hearts and in our minds - in every fierce embrace we recall, every quick comeback, every piece of wisdom she shared, and every time we hear the roar of a muscle car or that old time rock-n-roll. We will love and miss her forever.

Vicki is preceded in death by her parents, Byron “Bones” Sr. & Eileen Grant, sister Edie Norton, brother Byron “Newt” Grant Jr, husband Theodore Cole, niece Leilani Jones-Pole, and brother- cousins Lonnie D Masten, and Tony Sylvia.

She is survived by her husband Muhammad Hanif, daughters Eileen “Tek-Wes” McCovey (Sonia), and Lovae “Nins” Blake (Jake), grandchildren, Ivy, Wau-Kel, Sonny Boys, Kameron, John, and Lila, Sisters Maggie Grant-Pearson (Ted), Leslie Grant, and Lisa Grant, and brother- in-law Kenny Norton, Aunts Vivienna Masten, Melissa Grant, Millie Grant, Reva Grant, and Janet Jackson (Loggy), nieces and nephews, Sam Jones, Louisa Jones (Bud), Cheyenne Norton (Kinsa), Heather Campbell (Bob), Ranold Pearson Jr, Brooke Grant, Lindsay Grant, Barbara ‘Bunners’ Grant, Future McCovey-Williams (Dakota), Nelia Marshall (Joe), Sadie McCovey (Tim), Marion ‘Buck’ McCovey (Dori), Romeo McCovey, best friend throughout her life, Leslie Sais-Jackson, and her beloved companion Nickel. Vicki had many more nieces and nephews, too many to mention, but she loved you all dearly.

Pallbearers - Jake Blake, Sonny Boys Blake, Kameron McCovey Sam Jones, Cheyenne Norton, Marion McCovey Jr., Marion McCovey III, Romeo McCovey, Ranold Pearson Jr., Leroy “Brown” Pearson, Loren “Two Feathers” Offield, Chase Offield, Lennox James, Tyler Mitchell, Clarence Bussell, Logan Wallace, Caw-Tep Sylvia, William LameBear, Alec LameBear, David “Sonners” Hostler, Sam Campbell, Harold “O’s” Campbell, Sammy Jones, Ryan Jackson, Boyd Ferris, Bob Campbell Jr., Bobby Campbell III, Tristin Campbell, Lane Campbell, Joe Marshall, Paul Kuska, Gordon McCovey, Dakota Mosier, Eric Blake, Denny Colegrove and Daniel Masten.

Honorary Pallbearers - Walter “Bud” Gray, Albert “Junkie” Gray, Walter Gray III, Steve Gray, Delbert Gray, Inker McCovey, Michael McCovey,Ted Pearson, Arnold “Mike” Ferris Sr., Loren Norton, Kenny Norton, Arthur Jones, Hank Masten, Thomas Masten, Ed Masten, Leonard Masten, Bob Kane Sr., Clayton James, Lyle Matilton, George Blake, Leroy Sylvia, Arnold “Deacon” Ferris Jr., Axel Erickson, Harry “O” Campbell and Ronnie Green.

The family would like to give a heartfelt thank you to Kaloni Mosier, Kimmy Gray, Alisa “Hunnies” McCovey and Tammy Ammon - our angels on earth. We are so incredibly grateful for your love and support, we would not have been able to do this without you! Also, a special thank you to the home care outreach team at Ki’ma:w Medical Center and VYNCA Palliative Care Team.

We will bring Vicki home on Tuesday, March 18th at 4 p.m. and take her on one last ride to the Salmon River at 5:30pm. Vicki and her siblings spent many summers at the old home at Three Dollar Bar and it held a very special place in her heart.

A wake will be held that evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. at her home on Pine Creek Road. Services will be the following morning, Wednesday, March 19 at 11 a.m. at the Neighborhood Facilities, with the burial immediately after at the Hoopa Cemetery and a reception to follow at the Hoopa Fire Hall.

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