Paul Heikkila

Paul Heikkila, son of Walter Heikkila and Sylvia Costello, was born April 5th, 1946 and raised in Aberdeen Washington. In 1967 he married his high school sweetheart, Kay. After graduating from the University of Washington he moved to Coquille, Oregon in 1969 to work as a fisheries extension agent in Coos County, through Oregon State University and Sea Grant. He loved his job and recounted recently that one of his proudest professional accomplishments was helping launch several watershed associations along the Oregon coast in the 1990s, which brought together landowners to improve water quality and fish habitat. He remained involved in the Coquille Watershed Association for many years. Paul also fished commercially part-time for decades – mostly for salmon. Paul could talk your ear off about fish and the weather, but also enjoyed clam digging, duck hunting, reading all the newspapers he could find, and spoiling his dogs. Sadly, he struggled with chronic health issues in recent years and not long after losing Kay to a heart attack, Paul passed away at home on December 26th, 2021.

He is survived by his brothers Vern and Wayne, daughters Danelle and Tanya, sons-in-law Cliff and Todd, and four wonderful grandchildren: Claire, Alaric, Isaac, and Annika.

A memorial service will be planned for the spring of 2022. 

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