Helena Marie Sunny Wise

With deep love and profound sorrow, we announce the passing of Helena Marie “Sunny” Wise, 71, long-time resident of Santa Clarita, California. She was born on December 3, 1954, in Ridgecrest, California, and passed away peacefully on December 5, 2025, in the presence of her daughters, Marie and Shawnie Wise-Hawkins, at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California.

A service honoring her life will be held at Johannesburg Foursquare Church on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, at 1:30 PM, followed by burial at Rand District Cemetery and a reception at the church.

Sunny was a devoted attorney for 46 years who specialized in labor and employment law. She was deeply committed to advocating for employees, including sheriffs, firefighters, first responders, and individuals involved in Freedom to Choose. She also represented actors, screenwriters, and members of unions such as SAG-AFTRA, I.A.T.S.E. #695, UAW, and CWA. In addition, she handled criminal defense, restraining orders, and elder abuse cases. A fierce advocate for the underdog, Sunny fought tirelessly for justice until the very end. She was a loving mother and an extraordinary “Memaw” to her grandchildren.

Raised in the Mojave Desert, Sunny faithfully attended her local Foursquare Church, where she played the organ and taught Sunday School. She held a lifelong belief in the power of the Holy Spirit and was blessed to walk where Jesus walked during her pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a highlight of her life and faith.

Sunny graduated from Sherman E. Burroughs High School in 1972 before earning a full academic scholarship to UCLA, where she graduated with honors in Political Science in 1976. She went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Loyola Marymount University in 1979, graduating with high honors. After law school, she proudly served her country in the United States Naval Reserves as a respected journalist, achieving the rank of JO2.

She became a member of the California Bar in 1979 and later the Nevada Bar. Her work reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. She began her career as a partner at Geffner & Satzman from 1980–1987, and later opened her own law practice in Burbank.

Her daughters fondly remember the stories she shared from her childhood — walking to church, practicing the organ while her mother cleaned the sanctuary, selling holly wreaths her family made, tap and rhumba dancing, sorority life at UCLA, speech and debate competitions, and the joy felt in the costumes her mother lovingly sewed — and later, the ones she made for her own children. She often said her happiest years were spent at UCLA.

Sunny was strong, independent, driven, and deeply compassionate. She had a heart of gold and a vibrant spirit that made everyone she met feel seen and valued. She loved Jesus, bald eagles, sunflowers, skiing, traveling, photography, The Magic Castle where she was also a member, tap dancing, playing piano and organ, Elvis, Elton John, country music, her loyal dog Shadow, and most of all — her children and grandchildren.

She will be remembered for her unwavering work ethic, her fierce love and loyalty to her family, her steadfast faith, and her extraordinary generosity.

Sunny is preceded in death by her parents, Mary Marie Wise Wharton (Harinek) and Strother Eldon “Curly” Wise I; her brother, Strother Eldon “Buddy” Wise II; and her husband, Ronald Wayne Hawkins.

She is survived by her daughters, Marie Wise-Hawkins and her husband, Anton Jemiolo of Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Shawnie Wise-Hawkins and her fiancé, Gage Pellegrin, and their children — Wyett, Abigail, and Dallas — of Flagstaff, Arizona.

She is also survived by her brother’s children: Strother Wise III of Midland, Texas; Christopher Wise of Honolulu, Hawaii; Dr. Jonathan Wise of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Jacqueline Nygaard (Wise) of King George, Virginia. Additional nieces and nephews include Ryan, Bobby, Noah, Savannah, and Zoie.

Flowers may be sent through Flower Shoppe (https://www.ridgecrestflorist.com/) directly to Holland & Lyons Mortuary in Ridgecrest, California. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Sunny’s memory to the American Eagle Foundation (https://eagles.org/).

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” — Isaiah 40:31

Her journey here has ended, but her legacy continues — in every life she touched, every injustice she challenged, and every heart she loved. Though she has stepped into eternity, her warmth, courage, and faith will live on forever.