Timothy Paul Cissna passed away on February 16, 2026 from Lewy Body Dementia. He was at home in Arcata with his wife and son at the time of his passing.

Tim was born in San Francisco on July 24, 1950 to Norman Clark Cissna and Jeanne Miller Cissna. He moved with his parents and older brother, Ken, to Eureka in 1952. His younger sisters Kathy and Eileen were born in Eureka.

Tim was a happy baby and friendly little boy. Family photos always showed him with a huge smile. His parents instilled the love of the outdoors in all four children. They had many camping, backpacking and horse packing trips, as well as long family trips in the station wagon with all four kids in the back seats. They fished, swam and had adventures while playing in the water and outdoors.

Tim loved sports; he played football in junior high and then swam butterfly on the Eureka High School swim team. He graduated from Eureka High School in 1968 and then attended Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt), where he graduated in 1972. He was captain of the water polo team at Humboldt State and swam butterfly on the swim team. He enjoyed golfing for many years and even had a hole in one at Baywood on Hole #5 in 1981. He also served as president at Baywood, as well as spending time on the board. Tim and Sharon were long-time supporters of Humboldt athletics and enjoyed attending football and basketball games and getting to know the student athletes. He enjoyed watching the Giants, Warriors and 49ers, and took his family on many trips to catch a Giants series.

He started dating his wife, Sharon, while attending Humboldt State. He took her to a party on one of their first dates and told his sister Kathy, “this is the woman I am going to marry.” Sharon didn’t hear the story until after they were married. Tim and Sharon were married in Eureka in 1972. They lived in San Francisco while Tim attended Hastings College of Law, where he graduated in 1976. They then moved to Bayside, where they lived until 2001, before moving to Arcata. He practiced law as a defense attorney for 20 years before he was appointed as a Superior Court Judge, where he served for the next 20 years.

Their son, Kevin, was born after Tim finished law school and he and Sharon had moved back to Eureka. Tim loved attending Kevin’s school activities and never missed one of his sporting events. He kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings from every time Kevin made the local newspaper. He was honored to be the officiant at Kevin’s wedding to his wife Kat in 2017. He was so proud of Kevin and loved watching him become a wonderful person and loving father and husband. He loved his grandsons Ryan and Eli and enjoyed making them laugh. He was so happy watching them learn to walk and talk and become beautiful little boys.

Tim was a strong believer in ethics and fairness, and as an attorney and a judge, he took the responsibility to uphold those beliefs very seriously. He also said that one of the best parts of being a judge was performing adoptions and weddings because everyone was always so happy.

Tim loved the outdoors and he loved to travel. Tim, Sharon, Kevin and their friends enjoyed many backpacking trips in the Trinity Alps and Marble Mountains, where Tim passed on his love of the outdoors and wildlife. Tim and Sharon loved kayaking in the local lagoons and Humboldt Bay with a group of special friends. Their travels took them to many amazing places all over the world. Tim’s favorite was Africa, and they were able to travel there multiple times on various photo safaris. They were fortunate to be able to travel, and he always believed it was important to not wait until you were retired, or the time was just right. He lived this belief while sitting with gorillas, watching polar bears and dogsledding through Wyoming.

Tim loved his family, he loved his friends and he loved having fun. He had such a wonderful group of friends, and he enjoyed travel, adventures and laughter with all of them. Kevin and his cousins remember much laughter as he played “Red Light, Green Light” with them when they were young. Friends have memories of the secret delivery of a decorated Charlie Brown Christmas tree on their front porch, and he was infamous for his gas operated blender at the Humboldt tailgate parties before the football games. Even though his disease took away so much from him he still loved going to lunch with friends, attending the Humboldt Basketball games and talking to people at the gym or in the woods. He leaves behind an incredible group of friends. Wherever he went he would always see a friend and they would laugh and enjoy a good memory. Thank you for being his friend.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Norman and Jeanne Cissna and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jim and Helen Berg. He is survived by his loving wife, Sharon, his son, Kevin, his daughter-in-law, Kat, and his two beautiful grandsons, Ryan and Eli. He is also survived by his brother, Ken Cissna (Beth Roberts), sisters, Kathy Dias and Eileen Stocum (Robin), sister-in-law, Bonnie Rahm, nieces Megan Dias, Shelby Dias, Carrie Bibonge (Ali), Jennifer Jones (Charles), Kirsten Chappell (Tim) and nephews Tristan Dias (Julia) and Daniel Rahm (fiancée Jess Orozco). He is also survived by his great nieces and nephews, Cecilia Thompson (O’Riley), Zuri Bibonge, Barack Bibonge, Kira Bibonge, Charli Jones and Jacen Jones.

We want to thank Doctor Iverson, Doctor Cataldo, Doctor Fischer and Hospice of Humboldt for their support and kindness.

We miss him dearly and we hope the memory of his strength and his love will continue to live on in all of us.

A celebration of life will be held at Elk’s Lodge, 445 Herrick Avenue, Eureka CA, on Sunday, April 26, 2026 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to The Walk to End Alzheimer’s, The Lewy Body Foundation, Hospice of Humboldt or a charity of your choice.