Lesa was my baby sister. Mom tells me that I used to climb into Lesa’s crib and sing her lullabies. She was born in Chicago and grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She attended the University of California at San Diego where she learned to scuba dive, and Cal Berkeley, where she developed a passion for researching history. She graduated from Humboldt State, cum laude, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in History.  Lesa earned her Master of Library Science at the University of Hawaii in Manoa. She returned to HSU and for many years supervised the wonderful student assistants who worked the circulation desk at the Humboldt State Research Library.

Lesa was a beautiful, petite munchkin, all 4’10” of her. “Everyone who knew Lesa thought of her as their best friend,” explains a dear friend, who has known her since their Berkeley days. “She was quiet when I first met her, but before long we were traipsing along Strawberry Creek, spilling our hearts out to each other, our sides aching from so much laughter. Lesa was quiet, unassuming and a totally enchanting friend. You always wanted to be in her orbit. She made people feel loved and understood.”  Lesa kept her friends forever. Many lifelong friends will miss her dearly. 

She came to Humboldt County with her beloved Golden Retriever mix, Oso, in the 1970s. She wanted to “live a healthy and meaningful life close to nature.” A love of learning and researching drew her to work in libraries throughout Humboldt County where, among other duties, she drove the bookmobile to rural areas. 

While working towards her B.A. at HSU, Lesa was hired as a student assistant to help archive records for The Humboldt Labor History Project. She met Noel Harris in the basement of the HSU Library and he began telling her stories of his lifetime working in the lumber and plywood industries, particularly as a Union Representative. The interviews developed into a deep and lasting friendship with Noel and his wife Ina. Lesa’s book “The Town that had Enough: a History of Field’s Landing and Its Whaling Station” was published in 2014. 

Lesa built a home in Jacoby Creek surrounded by 7 acres of forest. She loved hiking the Arcata Marsh, the Community Forest and the Hammond Trail with Oso who was “magnificent and psychic.” Kona was her next pup,  a large chocolate lab who became a dear companion. Currently, Dulce (“sweet” in Spanish) is a white standard doodle who dances like a goat when she becomes excited. Dulce is now in the loving care of her nephew Dane and will dance out her days on the beaches of Land’s End in San Francisco.

In high school, Lesa and her friends took up folk dancing and never quit. She was a long-time member of the Humboldt Folk Dancers in Arcata.  In fact, she literally danced her way off the stage of life. The day after her 71st birthday, she was folk dancing with her loving community of folk dancers when she felt sick and dizzy. Her friends rushed her to Mad River Hospital. Doctors diagnosed a stroke and massive brain bleed. 

She was transferred to Mercy Redding Hospital. Our deep-felt thank you to the nurses, doctors, Trauma Service and staff at Mercy, Redding ICU 2N. We will always remember you for your smiles, expertise, loving kindness, and outstanding care of Lesa. The silver lining is that Lesa gifted her organs to several recipients in honor of her nephew Jared, who gratefully received a liver transplant in November 2025.

Lesa is survived by her sister, Leslie Coleman Johnson, and her nieces and nephews, Dylan Johnson (Emily), Elizabeth Teplitzky (Adam), Dane Johnson, and Katie Rose Fox (Jared). She was a great aunt to Teddy, Benji, Sylvie and Jack.  She was preceded in death by her mother, Sylvia Coleman, her father, Morrie Coleman, and her brother Keith Coleman.  Rest in peace, Lesa. We love you dearly.

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Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.

I am haunted by waters.

— Norman Maclean “A River Runs Through It”

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