John V. Christianson III: Teacher, Librarian, Activist, and Friend to Many

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John V Christianson III
12/27/1948-7/31/2025

John Christianson was born in Gary, Indiana, on December 27, 1948. He was the oldest of four children with two brothers, Mark and Eric, and the youngest sister, Fawn. He spent his elementary years in upstate New York and then moved with his family to Phoenix to accommodate his brother Mark’s ongoing illness of muscular dystrophy. Mark passed away when John was 16, and this loss left a lifelong sadness. As the eldest, John embraced his role as big brother with unwavering devotion and gentle grace. His sister is the best witness to the countless times he arrived precisely when she needed him most. And often she wonders aloud, “How did I get so lucky?”

He graduated from High school in Phoenix and then moved to the San Jose area with his family. While in junior college in the area, he went on a hunger strike to protest the US bombing of Cambodia, and brought family to walk with him in the Peace marches at San Jose State. He also studied the Trager® Approach Bodywork and worked as a practitioner intermittently for years. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, John’s degree was in natural history/environmental studies, and he began his career as a preschool teacher. For many years, he was a teacher at Oak Grove School, a progressive, private K-12 in Ojai. It was founded by the philosopher and educator J. Krishnamurti, whose teachings he admired, studied, and wrote about.

John taught nature studies to primary-grade schoolers and led nature walks. He was also active in many environmental causes, saving the extinction of Cormorant Birds and including a tree sit to save an ancient oak in Ojai’s Libby Park. He admired Henry David Thoreau—not only for Thoreau’s profound love of nature but also for his philosophical convictions He wrote and performed a one-man show inspired by him, presenting it at local libraries and environmental conferences.

John started as the Garberville Library branch manager in December of 2001, not long after moving to Humboldt County from Ojai. Good friends from Ojai had already moved to Humboldt, and on a visit with his wife, Marilyn Foote, they were struck by the natural beauty of the redwood forest and river valley and made the move north. After living in Ferndale for seven months, they moved to Miranda for 23 years. He and Marilyn shared their daily ritual of long walks among the giants.

John treated his library patrons to his jokes, puns, and riddles as well as his kindness and willingness to help beyond checking out books. John carried an endless well of compassion—his commitment to helping others shone through every gesture.

John retired from the library in November of 2017 and shortly thereafter was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia. He continued to write about seeing with new eyes, tools for sitting in silence and nature, as well as sharing bad jokes with anyone he met on walks, in medical appointments, or anywhere. He endured his disease with grace. In April of 2025, John and Marilyn moved to Arcata to be closer to services, and John passed away on July 31, 2025.

He was preceded in death by his brother Mark, his mother Carolyn, his father Jac, and his brother Eric. He is deeply missed by his wife Marilyn, his sister Fawn, brother-in-law Giovanni, his sister-in-law Sharon, brother-in-law Buddy, his two cats Issy and Dina, and many lifelong friends.

We plan to honor John’s memory with a celebration of life in the early part of the new year, details and venue yet to be determined.