Vernon T.  Tom  Helms, 75, died Jan. 26, 2013, in Gasquet. He was born July 18, 1937, in Medford, Ore., and was a 65-year resident of Del Norte County.

Celebration of life services will be held at Wier’s Mortuary Chapel on Saturday at 11 a.m. Sign the family’s online guestbook at wiersmortuary.com. Arrangements by Wier’s Mortuary Chapel.

Daniel Christopher Lopez, 95, died Jan. 25, 2013, in Crescent City. He was born Jan. 3, 1918, in San Juan Capistrano, and was a 33-year resident of Del Norte County.

Visitation will be held at Wier’s Mortuary Chapel on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Funeral Services will be at Wier’s Mortuary Chapel on Friday at 2 p.m., with interment at Smith River District Cemetery. Sign the family’s online guestbook at wiersmortuary.com. Arrangements by Wier’s Mortuary Chapel.

On January 23, 2013, Bob passed away from complications due to a bilateral lung transplant. He was surrounded by his wife Debbie and loving family.

Robert (Bobby, Bob, Robin) Rice was born in Crescent City at Seaside hospital on September 24, 1958, to parents Robert and Patricia Rice. He lived in Del Norte County as a child then moved around to several cities in Northern California before eventually returning to the place he knew and loved. As a resident of Del Norte County, Bob found his first job as a stock boy at Daly’s department store, where he would meet the love of his life, Debbie Borges. For Bob, it was love at first sight. A few years later they were married on March 25, 1978, in Gasquet, at the Gasquet Bible Church Bob attended as a child. They soon welcomed their first child Cristopher Robert and two years later their second son,  Adam John (after Debbie’s father, John Borges). Bob was a proud father who often wore screen-printed t-shirts with his children’s pictures on them. He began a career at Miller Rellim that would last almost 10 years. During this time he also volunteered at the Crescent City Volunteer Fire Department. Bob cherished the relationships and brotherhood he established as a firefighter including softball games, Fourth of July games, barbecues, and house boating trips.

Bob then made a career move to the Department of Corrections in 1987 that would forever shape his life. He moved his family to Sonora, Calif., to work at Sierra Conservation Center for two years waiting for the completion of Pelican Bay State Prison. He then returned to Crescent City to be a part of the original guard at Pelican Bay. He served as an officer, sergeant, and lieutenant during his tenure at Pelican Bay. 

During that time he found a calling as a union representative for the local chapter of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) for most of his career. He loved his work as a union representative and through that was involved in the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation (CPOF). He was the acting president of the Pelican Bay State Prison Athletic Association (PBSP-AA) and thoroughly enjoyed running the annual golf tournament. The relationships he formed from those organizations and  the Bay  would remain throughout his entire life. He was passionate about his job and had a strong voice for things that he stood for.

Jack M. Tillson, also known as Josh M. Leavitt, a long-time resident of Klamath, passed away peacefully in Crescent City on January 15, 2013. He was born April 28, 1929.

Jack was born a logger, one of the very finest on the Northern West Coast. He was a dear friend to everyone he met and loved to tell stories of his logging days. Jack also loved to share his fishing, hunting and camping stories. 

All of his memories were shared as if they only happened yesterday. He had a phenomenal photographic memory. He had a great love for his baby dogs and the hummingbirds that would feed from his feeders on spring days. 

Jack would spend his afternoons hanging with his friends at Crivelli’s and the Country Club. Jack had a great zest for life and celebrated his life to the very fullest.

Steven Pedro Hernandez

He loved his family dearly and would do anything for them. He lived for his Anaheim Angels, and he enjoyed rocking out to his music. He would not want anyone to mourn over him but to celebrate the time you had with him, the times he made you smile and the silly things he would do to make a better day.

Daniel T. Davenport

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Dana (succumbed to leukemia in 1997), his father, Dean (2001); and his mother, Frances (2011). 

Dan is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Bryon Evans of Colorado Springs, Colo.; grandsons, Ethan (12) and Sean Evans (6); sisters Deanna (Vern) Bianchi of Anderson and Jean (Darrell) Schock, of Auburn, Calif.;  brother, Ronald (Wanda) Davenport of Battle Ground, Wash.; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Dan grew up in Weaverville, where he attended school through his junior year of high school. He stayed with close family friends in Alaska his senior year and graduated from Wasilla High School. While in Alaska he worked on the docks and fishing boats and realized his love for the ocean.

After graduating in 1968 Dan returned to Weaverville and began working for the U.S.  Forest Service at the Big Bar Ranger District. In 1973 he married Debbie Sankey. They had two girls, Dana Marie (1975) and Donna May (1978).

Theresa Freida Louise Hoy, 47, died Jan. 14, 2013. She was born July 30, 1965, in Coos Bay, Ore., and was a lifelong resident of Del Norte County.

Private services will be held. Arrangements by Wier’s Mortuary Chapel of Crescent City.

Harold A. Del Ponte, 96, died Jan. 20, 2013, in Crescent City. He was born Dec. 31, 1916, in Crescent City.

Private services will be held. Arrangements by Wier’s Mortuary Chapel of Crescent City.

Dawson

His family includes parents Sandra Dompier and Ben Dawson; sister Carla and her husband Rodger Manss of Portland, Ore.; baby sister Shelly/Michele Blaisdell of Crescent City; niece Karla Blaisdell (Anthony); great niece LilLee Ione; nephew Nikolous Blaisdell; brother Brian and his wife Nichole Dawson; nephews Max and Noa Dawson of the Crescent City area; brothers Josh Dawson, Troy and Brett Stone, and Tony Leighto; Wes’s children,

Manuel Perez, 67, died Jan. 11, 2013, in Brookings, Ore. He was born Nov. 19, 1945, in Oakland, and was a former resident of Del Norte County.

Arrangements by Redwood Memorial Chapel.