Warren Lessard Memoriam

Warren Lessard moved to Magalia more than three decades ago, intent on living a solitary life.

He wasn't made for the modern world, said his daughter, Desarae Lessard Martinez.

"He would have done a lot better in the 1800s," she said.

To read his full profile visit http://extras.chicoer.com/campfireremembrances/

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Chico Enterprise-Record on Jan. 29, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Warren Lessard

6 Entries

Jessica Montoya

January 10, 2020

Oh boy, where do I start... I am blessed to have known Warren Lessard. I met him when I waitressed at Jaki's Hilltop Cafe in Magalia, CA. We would have coffee or tea, breakfast lunch or dinner on my breaks and great conversations. I would like to send my condolences to the family of Warren. I'm greatful to have met him when I did. Rest in Peace dear friend. Fly high. Until we meet again...

August 31, 2019

My name is Marian. Warren was my first love and my first Husband. We married in 1974 and by April of 1980 we had three Daughters. When I met his Mom, Nita, she became one of the three most important women in my life. His parents both welcomed me into their wonderfully diverse lives and loved me. I was 16, Warren was 20. His 3 sisters might not want their names in print so I won't print them.
I want to say Warren needed Nature like others need water.
He built and created and repaired everything in his path. When he'd find an interesting piece of wood or metal, he would envision what it could become and he made it become.
As our children came along we became steeped in Family life. Warren was a wonderful Papa to his girls.
I have the School Photos that include the really cute one posted here. My Brother, Michael, and Warren were good friends. The Girls loved their Uncle Michael, A Viet Nam Vet who was my Big Brother and without whom I'd be way less interesting. They often hiked into the hills beyond Red Bluff where the girls were born. There is a reason Northern California is called "God's Country." However one needs to go up into the mountains to get away from the heat of Redding and Red Bluff. Before we started having kids we used to go to this place on a mountain to camp. Really Camp. It was a day's walk before we'd even arrive at the Power Plant & the true hike it took to get there began. I have the journal I wrote when we were there one time. It's in a blue school type folder somewhere around here! It was similar to where he lived, it very well might be near where his home was for the last 3 decades of his life. It certainly looked like it with the black Granite and water flowing under and over all around that campsite. A river ran by the camp site that some astute individual had built long before & way, way over a mountain. One had to walk along the outer fence of the power plant using the chain link to hold onto that was in between the campsite and the road, and then jump, for real, onto the side of the mountain overlooking a hundred foot drop down into the river that powered the plant and surrounding area. The granite was black just like the precipice outcrop he built his home on. He'd jump first, I'd throw my pack over to him, he'd stow it down the "trail" and I'd jump to him and he would catch me. Then after 3 or 4 hours hiking over the mountain we'd be building a fire and eating Trout from the freezing fast flowing river. Once something we needed fell down the ravine along the trail, so he tied the rope he always brought around his waist and to a tree, then he propelled down the side of the mountain and retrieved the can of soup I'd dropped out of my pack when I was rifling through it for something when we were resting. That particular trip was where I learned to shoot a 22 Caliber Rifle. That was a cool old rifle. I always was, and felt, completely safe when Warren was there. He handled anything and everything and I would have followed him across the world had that been what he wanted. But, I couldn't follow him into solitude. He needed to live his life in solitude and away from Society's Mores. We split but remained friends until his untimely death.
We stayed in Sacramento and got married while living in Sacramento. His folks and my mom lived there, we'd met there and after we'd started living together we travelled around the State a lot. His Dad was a Teacher and in the Summer he and Nita drove down in their camper to where they had a little home on Bodega Bay. The 35 footer Fishing Boat was docked in the Bodega Bay docks. My first trip out into the Pacific Ocean is when I really won Eddie over. I never became Seasick and did exactly what Eddie said to do. Like holding onto the line as I walked around the boat. Wearing a life preserver always. Nita fried me my first thinly filleted Salmon on that boat. It was a "Shorty" too small to even bring in, legally, but it was legal to cook and eat it while out on the boat. Ohhhhh, on Saltine crackers. That was where I was first exposed to a different life than I'd known as a child growing up. I was 19. Eddie was a safety first kind of guy and I adored him and Nita. Warren and I were married when I was 20.
Eddie and Nita were the best Grandparents any kids could have. Along with writing and quarterly visits to my house, they came and got the girls every Summer and took them to some magical place. Carlsbad Caverns...all over the place they drove and ate and slept in that camper with their Grandparents and their Papa. They drove in the camper when they were really small and then Eddie and Nita got a huge Motor Home later. They both came to take care of me at home after Desarae was born, my sister came when my oldest was born or she would have been there to care for me then, too. Of course they came within a week to meet their newest Grandchild. If for no other reason Eddie loved me for giving him more Grandchildren. Nita and Eddie taught me more about family and responsibility and respect than I can say here. But, I am a writer, so I am going to maybe write a book about it. Nita is the most wonderful, kind woman and every one of her Children and Grandchildren have that quality. My Grandmother, Nana, and Nita became lifelong friends. They shared an appreciation for Art. Nita is a Painter and had the most raw talent I've ever encountered. Her paintings are worthy of the Louvre'. I have several of them hanging in my house. Nana was a quilter whose quilts have been hung in the finest Museums, and they adored each other. We often drove down to Bodega Bay to be with them as the kids were being born. We'd see them and their fishing friends and have feasts of everything the Sea has to offer in the form of food. The end of the Season Party. Every fisherman and woman with spouses, kids, friends, siblings came to that cook off. Many of the women doted on my babies of course, they were the cutest little girls ever. I have some photos on the Ocean with them. Everyone prepared their best dish for that end of the Season Party and that's when I learned the difference between fish sticks and Seafood! Nita came to my house after I'd remarried and took care of the kids and their step-dad when I had to have surgery. Those were then and will always be the very best years of my life. The very best years anyone could hope for in life. The happiest most peaceful years. Ok. I'm off to contact those here that knew Warren to say hi. And, maybe start a novel.

Sherrie Maddox

April 20, 2019

Although I haven't seen Warren for many years since I was a young girl, I always remember him being very kind and gentle. He was my brother Eric's father and was always nice to me when he would come visit my brother growing up.

My heart goes out to all the Lessards and everyone that knew Warren. We are all deeply saddened by the loss of his life and of all the lives lost in this terrible tragedy.

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Cat Arkenberg

February 1, 2019

You will always have a home in my heart. Thank you for sharing your life with me, I am a better person because I knew you. -Cat

Wendy Oertle

January 29, 2019

I didn't know Warren, but my mom, like so many others lost everything in the #buttestrong #campfire. My heart goes out to Warren's family. I wrote this name poem especially for Warren:

W: IS FOR WOODS, WHERE YOU LIVED IN A CABIN IN THE SKY,
A: IS FOR AWESOME, YOU'RE A GREAT GUY.
R: IS FOR RECEPTIVE, YOU HAVE AN OPEN MIND,
R: IS FOR RARE, YOU'RE ONE OF A KIND,
E: IS FOR EXEMPLARY, SOMEONE TO LOOK UP TO,
N: IS FOR NEVERENDING, YOUR FAMILIES LOVE FOR YOU.

For someone I never knew, Rest In Peace.
Wendy Oertle -San Jose, CA

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