Peggy Ann Radcliffe
October 26, 1937 – October 26, 2025

It is with sad hearts we are announcing that our mom, Peggy Radcliffe, has left this life at Fortuna Rehabilitation on October 26, 2025. It is also a happy time knowing that she finally got to go home and see her Savior Jesus and be in His loving arms, free from the physical pain and heartaches she endured.

Peggy Ann Reed was born on October 26, 1937, in Oakdale, California, to Marjorie Harrison Reed and Clifford Andrew Reed. She attended Oakdale High School. She married Burse Ross Radcliffe Sr. on December 25, 1953.

Peggy and Burse had five children: Ross (Angie, Robbie), Robert (Derek, Marissa), Susan (Jamie, David), Danelle (Andrew, Jennifer, Jessica), and Michele (Richard, Janelle). Peggy loved her children with all her heart. She always taught them right from wrong and to work hard. She took us to Sunday School and church, swimming every summer, Disneyland, camping on the South Jetty, and too many places to name. Our mom always encouraged us in so many ways till the very end of her life.

Mom always enjoyed her work life. She worked as a school bus driver for the Southern Humboldt School District from 1966 to 1976. She owned and operated a tourist business called “The Squirrel” in the summertime when public school released for the summer. This had been a public school bus that had been in an accident with the roof crushed in. It was painted a beautiful bright red with a painting of a squirrel on a panel on each side of the bus. The top of the bus was clear plexiglass so that the passengers could see the giant redwoods. The Squirrel picked up riders from the Benbow Inn and other stops in Garberville and Redway. The Squirrel bus would wind its way up the Avenue of the Giants, stopping along the way at gift shops and Founders Grove, where we all took the 20-minute trail. Then everyone had lunch at the Scotia Coffee Shop and toured the Scotia Mill, then wound back down the freeway, stopping at Rockefeller Forest. The folks that rode were always so amazed that Peggy could get the bus down through the redwood trees to the parking lot at Rockefeller Forest. It was a very tight squeeze for a bus.

Our mom drove the bus, and her good friend and coworker from school bus driving, Peggy Etcheverry, narrated the entire trip. Many of our cousins and friends got to ride along with us, and they now talk about how riding The Squirrel is one of their best memories growing up.

She worked for Harold Mendes at Mendes Shopping Center as a cashier and meat wrapper. She also worked as a motel maid for Mrs. Scown in Garberville. She never felt too proud to do any work and told her children, “Your labor is for hire, not your pride.” She often lived by the Bible verse, “Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord.”

She worked for Community Cornerstone in Redway, driving their folks. She drove the senior bus in Redway that was called the Quail Bus. She learned how to drive a truck and got her Class A driver’s license. Peggy and her husband Burse had a good time driving a lumber truck owned by Burse’s brother Reggie and his wife, Jackie Radcliffe.

Peggy’s house was often filled with people and laughter and love. She had music parties. She played her 12-string guitar with her friends Neil and Murray, who brought their guitars and mandolin. Many people came to these music parties. It was a lot of fun.

Peggy loved all her grandchildren very much. She went to all their games and events when they were growing up. When the grandkids got into high school, she supported them more by working at Humboldt Transit Authority as a bus driver to help pay for their tuition at Canyonville Bible Academy in Oregon. She got up very early to work at this job. Peggy was proud to be a transit driver and enjoyed that job and her coworkers.

Peggy did volunteer work at CASA of Humboldt. She was a member of NAMI. She was always trying to educate herself. She took college classes and was always reading a book. Peggy had many interests in life and enjoyed her life very much.

I realized writing this that I would have a hard time including all the many things she did during her life. She took a trip to the San Diego Zoo with her very good friend Cynthia Winters. My mom enjoyed her friendship with Cynthia and had lots of good conversations and fun times. Peggy’s other lifelong friend was Ruby Huck. They walked together almost every day for many years.

The most important thing to her was her children and grandchildren! She really didn’t waste a minute in her life! She planned many family reunions and get-togethers through the years. My mom enjoyed her times with her sister Shirley and brother-in-law Douglas Low, and loved her sister Andrea and her husband Al Kennemer very much. She loved going to Al’s truck terminal and that whole truck driving world.

I know she would want me to express also how much she appreciated Jackie and Reggie Radcliffe. After her husband Burse’s passing, they came almost every evening and kept her company. They did this for many months. Mom also enjoyed a special visit from her Texas niece, Exene Hadley, a few years ago. They went to Shelter Cove and had a good time. She loved all of her nieces and nephews very much.

Peggy moved to Fortuna 15 years ago. She found a home at the Fortuna Church of the Nazarene and especially loved the ladies from the Thursday Ladies Group. She found love and acceptance and healing with these ladies and her special friend Lucinda. Mom also loved the ladies at the Rohnerville Assembly of God Church and attended there for a time.

Peggy gave to many charities her whole life, the first being a quarter that her grandfather gave her as a young child when she was 9 years old to go to the movies, but she instead took it across the street and gave it to the Salvation Army. Her grandfather was unhappy with her for doing this. She always did what she thought was right, and if other people didn’t like it, she didn’t lose any sleep over it.

As a school bus driver in Southern Humboldt, when asked by some members of the community to not pick up the children of the “back-to-the-land folks” who had moved with their parents to the area, she responded by going to the school board meeting that was discussing this issue, where people were up in arms about these children. Peggy stood up and said, “I am required by law to pick up all children, and that is what I’m going to do.” Well, that settled it!

She never liked anybody being treated any different from other people and would always take up for people who were being treated in a mean way. Her niece Kim Faddler said that her Aunt Peggy was an inspiration for her becoming a firefighter. Kim said when she was young and saw the things my mom did, such as taking jobs that were not traditionally held by women, it gave her the inspiration to become a firewoman. She was an inspiration to us all to do what was right, to work hard, to do your best, to not make fun of anyone, and to be a help to someone else who is in need.

Mom supported Wounded Warriors, Mountain of Mercy Drug Rehabilitation in Honeydew, Operation Christmas Shoebox, and many other organizations. She was married to Burse Radcliffe for 42 years. They made a good home for their children with many happy memories. They got to enjoy a lot of things together — their family, their friends, music concerts — and they mostly seemed to just enjoy drinking coffee together at the kitchen table, having conversation.

Mom enjoyed her special times with her niece Marjean and her husband Alan Streeper, and nephew Chuck Low, and niece Jennifer Low. These cousins from Sacramento helped her through some hard times, and they had lots of good times together also. She also loved her nieces Lori McDonald and Kym Faddler very much. She was so proud of you girls, and she was so happy and touched that you came to visit her recently.

Peggy was preceded in death by her husband Burse, son Ross, and grandson Robbie; brother Clifford Reed; brother-in-law Lowell and wife Lorraine Radcliffe; brother-in-law Reggie Radcliffe; brother-in-law Bill Lillie and wife Beverly Lillie and their son Bill Jr.; sister-in-law Faye and husband Rufus Lee; and sister-in-law Barbara Blake.

Mom leaves behind her children and grandchildren and their partners: son Robert and granddaughter Marissa; daughters Susan (Paul), Danelle, and Michelle. Grandchildren Angie, Marissa, Jamie and David, Andrew, Jennifer and Jessica, Richard and Janelle. Great-grandchildren Leanna, Devin, Adriana and Jocelyn, Cole, Finnegan, Clover, Emerson, and Parker Burse. She also leaves behind sister-in-law Wilma Reed.

Mom’s good friends were Ruby and Gus Huck, Cynthia Winter, Churratha Fulmer, Dick Hardy, Rhonda Hardy-Jewett, Doyle Womack, and Sandra Harmon. Mom often said Della Womack was a good neighbor. If I have forgotten anyone, please forgive me.

A LIFE WELL LIVED

Burial arrangements made by Goble’s Chapel in Fortuna. A funeral service will be held at the Fortuna Nazarene Church, 1355 Ross Hill Road. Pastor Nicole Johnson will officiate. There will be a meal at the Nazarene Church afterward. You are welcome to bring a side dish. Please come and share a memory of Peggy Radcliffe.

Weather permitting, there will be a graveside service the next day at 11 a.m. at the Briceland Cemetery. Pastor Bruce Willis will officiate.

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