It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Mama, Maggie Kathleen Grant-Pearson. Maggie was born April 8, 1959, at the old hospital in Hoopa, to Eileen “Boo-Boo” and Byron “Bones” Grant Sr. After years of strength and endurance, Mama grew weary and succumbed to her illness. She began her journey home on October 15, 2026, passing away at her home in Weitchpec, surrounded by the love and warmth of her family and friends.

A Hupa tribal member, Maggie was raised in Hoopa. Her summers were spent with her siblings at the family ranch at Three Dollar Bar on the Salmon River, heading out first thing in the morning to swim and run the river bar, then falling in bed at night, only to wake up and do it all over again the next day. Those summers gave her some of her most treasured memories. She often spoke of the large family dinners, harvesting from the orchard and garden, canning with her “old gram,” Maggie, listening to her grandpa Frank play his fiddle and of all her Grant aunts and uncles. She made you want to be there. It was there that she embraced the simple joys of childhood and learned to love the river, the wildflowers, long drives in the mountains and camping near Salmon Summit. Later, she would take her own children there and teach them to love the Salmon River and nature as much as she did.

Maggie graduated from Hoopa Valley High School in 1977, where she took part in cheerleading, track, softball and ASB. It was there she met Lonnie Colegrove, and her life changed with the arrival of her daughter, Heather, who brought a special kind of joy and love into her world.

Life would eventually lead her down a different path, one that brought her to Ranold “Ted” Pearson Sr. With him she found a steadfast love and a partner for life, and together they shared their happiest and most cherished seasons. Maggie and Ted welcomed a beloved baby boy, Ranold Jr., and were married in 1990. They shared 46 wonderful years together at the confluence of the Klamath and Trinity rivers.

Maggie had a brief but meaningful career as the School Attendance Review Board (SARB) officer at Hoopa High School. She loved getting to know the local kids and would spend the rest of her years cheering them on, attending games and events for all of her grandchildren and the many kids she had come to love.

Still, Maggie was an earth child at heart, most at peace at home and in nature. She was happiest raising her children, making her home beautiful, tending her flower garden, sharpening her skills with word puzzles and board games and spending time with her family in the mountains and on the river. She was creative and artistic, and above all loving, kind and generous. She had a quick wit and wry humor that were never more abundant than when she was with her sisters.

The Grant girls were known for their love, laughter,and spirit. Their laughter, high and bright, filled every room and created a warmth we all wanted to share. Together they raised families strong in tradition, love, humor and generosity.

The sisters gathered the families on every available occasion, whether cheering on X-15 at the races or celebrating holidays and birthdays at Grandma Boo-Boo’s, where stories of past adventures, belly-rupturing laughter, the rattle of the Yahtzee cup and cribbage banter filled the house. The legacy they built and the bonds they created are something we will lovingly protect, carry forward and cherish for generations to come.

Maggie adored her sisters and brother. As a middle child, she carried an instinct for taking care of her loved ones all her life. To most who knew her, she was Auntie Maggie, always keeping an open door for her nieces and nephews. She always wanted more children, and she was often seen loving up the newest additions to the family or affectionately asking someone to “give me that baby.”

As the children grew, they could often be found scaling some precarious hillside to gather nature’s latest offerings for Auntie Maggie. Each spring, she looked forward to the blooming of the lilies, shooting stars, trilliums, azaleas and lady slippers. Many warm spring days were spent cruising the mountains so she could bring home the sweet-scented blossoms and enjoy them a little longer. She filled her own yard with flowers too, creating little pockets of color and beauty, and she was happiest when the hummingbirds dropped by for a sip.

She loved all animals and over the years kept dogs, cats, bunnies and budgies. She raised Persian cats for many years, and many folks came to her for the fluffy kitties. She was always saddened if she hurt even the smallest creature on the road. She also had an affinity for all things shiny and beautiful: crystals, stained glass, wind chimes and geodes. Crystal ornaments of every shape and size adorned nearly every surface of her home, and she especially loved her glass eggs and any rock with a shine or shimmer.

In summer, she kept her family’s love of nature alive, passing on the same appreciation for the outdoors that her own folks had given her. Long days swimming on the Salmon River, gold panning on Pine Creek and fishing on the Trinity with family were among her favorite pastimes. Other times, she brought her house to her campsite at Fish Lake or down at Requa. If you ever stepped into one of Maggie’s tent mansions, you know what we mean. She never did anything halfway. There were multiple tents: one for cooking and dining, and another for her “home,” complete with a large bed, couch, TV, heater, a crib for the grandkids and a welcome mat at the door. Maggie took camping to great heights, made every visitor feel at home, kept everyone fed and gave us all something to aspire to.

Music was also a big part of Maggie’s life. She loved all kinds, especially rock ‘n’ roll, and Elvis Presley held a special place in her heart. She adored Blue Hawaii and always longed to see the islands for herself. Not long ago, she finally made it there with her family, and she soaked up every moment of the place she had dreamed of for so long. Her joy was something to see, and we are so grateful she got to have that time.

Maggie was as generous and loving as they come. She opened her door to folks from all walks of life, feeding them or giving them a place to rest their head. In her later years, she often cared for her grandchildren and blessed them with her creativity, spoiling them with superhero art, the best toys and a love for Disney. She always had the latest Disney movie or cartoon and would sit and watch with her children, grandbabies, nieces and nephews. Many in the family were also blessed with one of her beautiful baby quilts, which she loved to give whenever a new baby arrived.

Maggie was magic. She brought so much love and joy to her family. Her Christmas decorations were endless, and her trees were always the biggest and bushiest. Her Easter baskets were carefully crafted and filled with thoughtful treasures and sweet treats, each one special and personal. She had a gift for making each of her children and grandchildren feel like the most important person in the world. We will miss her magic, her laughter and above all the boundless love she gave us, and we will try our best to keep the magic alive. Rest in love, Mama. We know you are having the grandest time with your Mama and your sisters.

Maggie is preceded in death by her parents, Byron “Bones” Sr. and Eileen Grant; sisters Edie Norton and Vicki Grant-Hanif; brother Byron “Newt” Grant Jr.; and nieces Leilani Jones-Pole and Sadie McCovey.

She is survived by her husband, Ranold “Ted” Pearson Sr.; daughter Heather Campbell (Bob); son Ranold Pearson Jr.; grandchildren Bobby III, Tristin, Lane, Scarlett and Tiwhte Campbell and Leroy McCovey-Pearson; sisters Leslie Grant, Lisa Grant and Julie-Ann Farnum; sister-in-law Karen Pearson; brother-in-law Kenny Norton; aunts Vivenna Masten, Melissa Grant, Millie Grant and Janet Jackson (Loggy); nieces and nephews Sam Jones, Louisa Jones (Bud), Cheyenne Norton (Kinsa), Lovae Blake (Jake), Tek-Wes McCovey, Brooke Grant, Lindsay Grant, Barbara “Bunners” Grant, Future McCovey-Williams (Dakota), Nelia Marshall (Joe), Marion “Buck” McCovey (Dori), Romeo McCovey, Tonya Pearson, Laura Pearson and Casey O’Neill (Delbert); and her lifelong best friends, Verla Jackson-Robbins and Delores Bread. Maggie had many more nieces and nephews than we can name here. If we have forgotten anyone, please forgive us. She loved you all dearly.

Pallbearers: Ranold Pearson Jr., Bob Campbell Jr., Bobby Campbell III, Tristin Campbell, Lane Campbell and Leroy McCovey-Pearson.

Honorary Pallbearers: Sam Jones, Tek-Wes McCovey, Cheyenne Norton, Marion McCovey Jr., Marion McCovey III, Romeo McCovey, Sonny Boys Blake, Sammy Jones, Jake Jones, Jed “Peppers” Jones, Joe Marshall, Walter “Bud” Gray, Albert “Junkie” Gray, Walter Gray III, Steve Gray, Delbert Gray, Inker McCovey, Kenny Norton, Arthur Jones, Hank Masten, Thomas “Goody” Masten, Ed Masten, Leonard Masten, Bob Kane Sr., Boyd Ferris, Tyler Mitchell, Thomas Masten Jr., Quincy Masten, Axel Erikson and Rodney “Rowds” Robbins.

The family extends a heartfelt thank-you to Verla Jackson-Robbins and the new Grant girls. Walking in the footsteps of Auntie Les, Auntie Lisa and the incredible generation before them, these daughters have stepped up as a beautiful new guard of comfort, carrying a lifelong legacy of love forward. We are so grateful for your love and support. We could not have done this without you.

We also give special thanks to Uncle Bill and Jessica for the beautiful urn box and urn, Melissa Kane and the home care outreach team at Ki’ma:w Medical Center, and to everyone who brought food, love and support during this difficult time. It means the world to have such a beautiful community.

It was Mama’s wish to be cremated. Following the cremation, we will bring her to Weitchpec for one last night at her home on Friday, October 23. Graveside services will be held the following morning, Saturday, October 24, at 10 a.m. at the Hoopa Tribal Cemetery. A Celebration of Life will follow at the Libby Nix Community Center near her home in Weitchpec. We hope you will join us in honoring our dear Mama Maggie.

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