Johanna “JoMama” Hamel: Beloved KMUD DJ Known for Her Wit, Her Gardens, and Her Community Building, Dies at 63
This section includes announcements of important events in our lives–births, graduations, engagements, marriages, and deaths. If you want to share an event with your community, please send a photo and a written piece to [email protected].
Johanna Marguerite Hamel passed away peacefully in Arcata, CA, on March 20th, 2026, from pancreatic cancer. She will be remembered for her wit, her friendship, her integrity, and her parties. Her many friends and loved ones deeply appreciated her positivity and that she truly lived life on her own terms.
“JoMama” Hamel was born in Wingdale, NY, on June 5th, 1962, to Hanora Ita Hamel (Dore) of Limerick, Ireland, and Armand Anthony Hamel of Wingdale, NY. A high school valedictorian and 3-sport all-county athlete, Johanna went on to play field hockey at Brown University. Upon graduating, she bought a one-way ticket to California and never looked back. She had a blast bartending at the comedy club The Other Cafe in San Francisco where the likes of Robin Williams and Ellen DeGeneres were regulars, and then moved to remote southern Humboldt County, started a family, and built a homestead on 40 acres with a panoramic view of nothing but nature.
Johanna’s values drove her lifestyle – she worked in solar energy to learn how to build her house off-grid, and in sustainable building materials so her home could give more than it took from the land she loved. An expert landscaper, her vast gardens remain stunning. She contributed constantly to her community, coaching any team that needed it and teaching countless kids how to dribble a basketball – memories that made her smile until her last day. In 2016, she drove a truckload of medical supplies to Standing Rock to support those protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline and worked in the base camp providing childcare, sports, and games for the kids whose parents were on the front line. Much of her renown in Humboldt County and beyond was as a radio DJ, most notably on KMUD where she hosted “JoMama’s Blues” for 35 years, making it the longest-running blues show west of Chicago.
Johanna maintained friendships with folks of all ages and from all walks of life. She could always be relied on to show up, work hard, and find humor in any situation. She had much to be thankful for and reflected in her final days on some of her proudest moments, including her children’s university graduations from Brown, Stanford, UC San Diego, and Columbia, seeing her son purchase his first home, and watching her daughter represent the United States in the 2022 Rugby World Cup. Above all, she felt at peace knowing her family is safe, happy, and loved.
Johanna is survived by her son Connor (Anna Kashtanova) of Oakland and her daughter Evelyn (Daniel Leyva) of San Diego; grandchildren Jade Ashenbrucker, Kieran Leyva, and Baby Leyva (on the way!); sisters Clare Santora of Massachusetts and Yvonne Miller of Kansas; nieces Alexandra, Amanda, and Elizabeth; and great-nephew Hudson.
She is also survived by her life partner Katy Stern of Arcata, with whom she shared decades of love and laughter; Zack Stern (Eden Golub) of McKinleyville, and granddaughter Eleanora Stern.
She is preceded in death by her mother Ita, her father Armand, and her brother Cornelius. In lieu of flowers, her wish is that donations be made to the Betty Kwan Chinn Homeless Foundation toward their youth summer camps.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
Jo was one of a kind! Working with her was a joy and she was one of my favorite people.
Jomama was an incredibly interesting person with a deep personal honesty. My wife and I had the great privilege of attending many of her St. Patrick’s Day parties. She was indeed a great part of our Southern Humboldt community.
She will be missed, Condolences to her family and many friends,
What a loss. I will miss swapping jokes with her. She had one hell of a sense of humor and made me laugh many times She was a great asset to KMUD Her blues knowledge was amazing. Where ever she is she will be making people laugh!
May you Rest in Peace Jo Mama–for all the bodacious and generous ways your spread your many glittery and laughing lights on everyone.
Jo- was such an amazing person and neighbor. I will miss seeing her beautiful smile passing on the road! I will also miss hearing her on the radio- what a wealth of knowledge! Sending love to her family.
She was never without a smile.
RIP
Jo and I danced around each other in SoHum friend groups for decades until we finally connected on the softball field. What a gift she was to all who got to know her — a wicked sense of humor that I sometimes stumbled to catch up with, a kindness that welcomed you in, a baller on and off the field.
Like her humor and her dedication, her love of gardening spilled into my world. She shared her green thumb not only with me but with my teenage boys at the time, making gardening epically cool.
You could not help but smile when Jo was around. And she couldn’t help but smile when talking about her family — her love and pride for her and Katy’s kids was undeniable in the way she spoke about them.
My heart has been punctured by her passing. My condolences are with Katy, Connor, Evie, and Zack; Jo wore her love for her family the same way she wore everything else — openly, proudly, and with that smile nobody could resist.
Jo and Katy have both done so much for not only SoHum, but also for other causes, and probably anyone they knew who needed help or support. I loved her sense of humor, love of music, intelligence, and energy. Sending love and sympathy to Katy and the rest of her family, and family of friends.
A bright light now in the sky constellations but oh she is missed so dearly here on Earth. Jomama’s kind, frank practicality and dedication to community made her truly one of a kind. Can’t help tears. Love to the family.
RIP. Sincerest condolences to the grieving. I am in shock!
May the memories of your beloved Johanna be a comfort and a blessing. Truly a remarkable woman who left the world a better place.
Darn! I am surprised. She was relatively young. Pancreatic cancer is unforgiving.
I remember Jo from when KMUD was starting, when her kids were very small (maybe she was pregnant with one then?). Jomama and Jopapa (not mentioned in the obit) were both faithful, early ‘Mudders’, there as needed to support the community. And of course her Sunday night show was an institution I listened to more faithfully than any other music show. Loved it! She was also on KHUM and maybe KHSU for a while too. She was welcomed to other stations due to her skills, knowledge and on-air personality. It was fun to hear her.
A great source of brightness has passed from our community. Johanna loved her music and her community and a good time. She also was a good mother to two great children, Connor and Evelyn. Rest in peace, baby!
What a beautiful soul. The world lost a shining star, but gained one in the night sky. She was so funny and had such dry humor, all her own. I really enjoyed sitting next to Katy and her at the SouthFork basketball games. It was always very entertaining and very funny.
Fly free my angel friend goddess, you will be soooooo missed here.
Let me guess. A vaccine “skeptic” will be taking her time slot.