Mary Joan Vess

Mary Vess, longtime resident of Eureka, went to be with Jesus on April 8, 2026. She had faced a difficult illness with dignity and grace, and remained sweet and loving, as she always had been, through the very end of her life.

Maria Joao Avila Alexandre ("Nana") was born in 1940 on one of the Azores islands (Terceira) of Portugal.

After her father died and her mother remarried, the family moved to America in two shifts, separated by three years. Nana, her mother and Nana's older sister and brother came to America in the first shift, on December 29, 1949. It was a long flight to a strange land and no one in the family spoke English and few they met could speak Portuguese. The plane flew over New York City. They could see the Statue of Liberty. The family disembarked and waited on Ellis Island for two days to be admitted into the United States. Admission was granted on December 31, 1949.

Finally, after travelling the nearly 5,000 miles in all, they arrived in Humboldt County California. The Alexandre family was about to begin their life in America during the second half of the twentieth century, one of the most prosperous times and places to be in human history.

Nana updated her birth name (Maria Joao) to the more "American" "Mary Joan." She started school in Eureka, while her older siblings went to school in Loleta.

Two years later, on May 7, 1953, Nana became an American citizen.

Nana met Bobby ("Papa") Vess in Eureka on February 23, 1957. Papa, born in Ft. Worth, Texas, was stationed with the Coast Guard in Samoa on lifeboat duty following three years of sea duty.

Nana finished high school early in January 1959. She and Papa were married March 29, 1959, at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Eureka.

Nana and Papa had their first child, Deborah, just 10 months later, in January 1960. The newlyweds had their second child, Sandy, the same year (December 27, 1960). Irish twins. The youngest, Bryan, was born 15 months later, in April 1962. After having three kids, Nana was still just 21, and Papa had just turned 24. Kids themselves.

Nana and Papa bought their first (and last) house in 1970, on Humboldt Hill.

Nana worked a variety of jobs while the kids were growing, including at local department stores in Eureka and filleting fish for Eureka Fisheries in Fields Landing. Nana eventually obtained her "dream" job in around 1977, when she became a hairdresser. Over the next 40 years, Nana worked in a number of shops around Eureka (La Beau, Adam and Eve, the Hairport), until her retirement in around 2018. Throughout the decades, Nana loved arts and crafts, and was happiest creating something in ceramics classes or in painting classes. She was also an excellent softball player, playing shortstop and adopting the batting stance of the then-popular Joe Morgan.

Nana was always interested in fitness and exercise. She taught aerobics for many years at different gyms in Eureka.

In retirement, exercise continued to be a major part of Nana's life. She was still riding her exercise bike up until the days before her passing. She also would cut hair for friends, in the home shop, as a way to stay busy and to be useful to others.

As for Nana's last days: A special thank-you to first responders: Fire station 2 and City Ambulance. Thank you Dr. Don Iverson for your many years of gentleness and dedication towards Nana and her care. Thank you to the amazing health care team at Providence St Joseph Hospital. To the excellent ER Staff: Dr. Eric Gerdes, and Jess, Matt, Adrianna, Kat, and Jess. To MS 2 crew: Thank you Tara, Monica, Nick, Drew, Shu, and Dawn. To all the others who cared for Nana with love and kindness during those very difficult 3 days: Thank you. We were witness to many wearing the wings of Angels.

All Nana's siblings predeceased her. She is survived by Papa, her three children, daughter-in-law Jora Vess, her five grandchildren—Taylor Parris (married to D.J. Parris), Austin Tompkins, Charles Vess, Juliet Vess, and Emilia Vess—and her two great-grandchildren, Hudson Parris and David Parris.