Reid Marshall Aiton Sr.: An Avid Outdoorsman with a Green Thumb

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Reid Marshall Aiton Sr.
August 19, 1941 – August 7, 2023

Reid Marshall Aiton Sr. passed peacefully on August 7, 2023, in Santa Rosa, CA. Reid was born in Eureka, CA on August 19, 1941, to Andrew (Marsh) Aiton and Bessie A. (Wahlund) Aiton and was an only child. He married Margaret McCann on January 13, 1961, in Arcata, CA. and they raised 3 sons, Reid Jr., Rodney and Russell and one daughter, Dianne. 

Reid was a man of many facets. He started in the timber industry as a choker setter working for Bill Boak and later for Simpson Timber Company, where he stayed for over 35 years retiring as the log yard supervisor. 

He was a loving and supportive husband and father. He was always busy or visiting his extended family. One of his favorite summer activities was the Wahlund family reunion that has been held at Camp Baur for many years. 

In his early twenties, he was into racing cars, and dabbled in mechanics. He also loved all aspects of being outdoors, an avid gardener, hunter, fisherman, and trapper. 

Reid was meticulous and organized in everything he did including gardening. If the package instructions stated 2” apart at a depth of 3” that’s exactly how it was planted. He always had intricate trellis and watering systems.  He encouraged his children to love gardening and had them spend many hours weeding row after row of vegetables. He also “created” a new variety of apple tree call Snow Camp. 

Reid spent many deer seasons taking his family on hunting and camping excursions. Years of successful game hunting were proudly displayed on the walls of his home and truly the last of his kind, he was a skilled trapper and fur Trader. He spent countless hours teaching his sons, nephews or whoever my brothers would drag home, and his grand kids how to trap, process and grade the hides for sale, and taking the kids to fur sales and rendezvous. He was the president of the California Chapter of the National Trappers Association. His trapping business also sponsored many Little League and Babe Ruth teams in the Blue Lake area.

An experienced fishman, both commercially and for pleasure, he spent many hours on the ocean with his daughter and sons. I loved ocean fishing with him, well except for the sea sickness. 

There are too many stories to revisit here, but one story I remember he and Grandma Bess used to laugh about had to do with Levis (jeans). When he was in high school, they used to wear their jeans until they would stand up on their own, because they didn’t want them to fade or lose that new jeans stiffness, or until Grandma couldn’t stand the smell anymore. Ha Ha. 

Reid is survived by his children Reid Jr., Dianne Holba and husband Kevin, Rodney, Russell and wife Michelle, 11 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and cousins.

MEMORIAL SERVICE, for Family Members:

Friday, September 8, 2023

CONTACT MICHELLE AITON @ 707-668-5682 FOR INFORMATION

CELEBRATION OF LIFE, for Family & Friends, Everyone is Welcome:

Saturday, September 9, 2023

Starts at 1:30 pm

Camp Bauer, Korbel
(GPS plus code: V2HX+JH Korbel, California)