Leah Foss: August 24, 1967 – June 18, 2026

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With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Leah Foss. She passed away on June 18, 2026, at the age of 58 after a recurrence of head and neck cancer.

Born on August 24, 1967, Leah was raised in Samoa, California, and graduated from Arcata High School in 1986. She was the kind of person who made everyone feel welcome and cared deeply about the people in her life. She was always there when someone needed her. Though gentle by nature, Leah wasn’t afraid to use her voice. She was an advocate for herself and for others, and she never hesitated to speak up when it mattered.

Family was everything to Leah. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, and sister who loved her girls with all her heart. Nothing made her happier than spending time with the people she loved. She dedicated nearly 30 years in healthcare, primarily at Providence, where she built lifelong friendships and became known for the compassion she showed to everyone around her.

After overcoming Stage IV tonsillar cancer in 2001, Leah faced lifelong health challenges from her treatment, but she never let them define her and continued living her life. When cancer returned, she met it with the same determination that had carried her through before.

Leah’s faith was a constant source of comfort and strength throughout her life. She trusted God through every season of life, and that faith carried her through every challenge she faced.

Leah loved tending to her rose garden and watching the hummingbirds that visited it. One of her favorite passages came from Signs from the Afterlife by Lyn Ragan, which reflected what she believed hummingbirds represent: symbols of joy, healing, hope, and eternity. The idea that they are “stoppers of time,” reminding us to slow down and appreciate the people we love, brought her comfort. She loved the thought that the movement of their wings traces the shape of an infinity symbol, representing a love that never ends. In the weeks before she passed, Leah would often tell us she would come back to visit as a hummingbird. Now, whenever one appears, we’ll think of her and remember that love doesn’t end when someone is gone.

Leah leaves behind a family who loved her deeply, friends who became family, and a community that will miss her dearly. Though our hearts are broken, we take comfort in knowing that her love lives on in the lives she touched, and we’ll think of her every time a hummingbird stops us in our tracks or one of her roses blooms again.
In keeping with Leah’s wishes, a private celebration of life will be held at a later date.