Jonathan Guthrie Herr

HERR, Jonathan Guthrie - Passed away peacefully at home April 18, 2008, in the arms of his wife Suzanne. He died of cancer after a heroic year undergoing treatment. Born in San Francisco, CA, in August of 1944, Jonathan was adopted by Gordon and Jane Herr, the founders of the former art school Pond Farm Workshops and Hexagon House near Armstrong Woods State Park in Guerneville, CA. He and his sister, Gail Herr, who is now an Alameda County Supervisor, were reared in the midst of many talented refugee artists. After the early death of his mother in 1952, Jonathan was nurtured by the world renowned master potter Marguerite Wildenhain who lived and taught on Pond Farm until her death in 1985. Gordon Herr later married Frances Castle and had two children, Gordon, Jr. and Galen. After the state of California took Pond Farm by eminent domain in 1964, Gordon moved with his new family to Mexico, and died there in 1970. Jonathan attended Guerneville School, Analy High School (Class of 1963), Santa Rosa JC, and graduated with honors from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, in 1970, with a degree in Landscape Architecture. He was a member of Alpha Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He met his future wife, Suzanne Moore of Temple City, CA, at Cal Poly just prior to leaving for graduate school at UC Davis, and proposed at his beloved Pond Farm. They were married in January 1971. Shortly after their marriage they bought their property "Windflower" in the Mark West Springs area of Santa Rosa from Otto Hagel and Hansel Mieth, Life magazine photographers and life long friends. In 1972 Jonathan became a Landscape Architect for the City of Sacramento, and in 1973 he achieved his goal of relocating to Santa Rosa and establishing his own business. In 1984, Jonathan and Suzanne adopted their newborn daughter Ashley who brought a joyful new dimension to their lives. That same year Jonathan bought his first MAC computer and was one of the first architects in the area to design on the computer. Specializing in parks and commercial developments, such as Vintner's Inn and John Ash, Jonathan's countless designs can be seen throughout Sonoma and Napa Counties. He had served on the Santa Rosa Landscape Design Review Board and was a member of the American Board of Landscape Architects. He had endless interests and used every precious minute of his life to the fullest degree. Truly a hardworking man of the earth, he always had a huge vegetable garden and his magnificent salads will be missed by many. He also cut and split firewood to heat the family home. He gleefully told friends that they might lend anything, including their wife, but never their chainsaw! Jonathan was a "green" pioneer. He learned the conservation way of life during his childhood days at Pond Farm and became one of the first homeowners in California to install a solar and wind-powered alternative energy system. From the water jacket on the woodstove that was used to heat water in the early 1970s, to the regular use of clotheslines for drying clothes, to recycling long before it was popular, he eagerly planned ways to conserve because he foresaw the decline in our earth's resources. He helped many learn to make ecologically invisible footprints on the earth and taught family and friends how to cultivate gardens where love-sustainable love-matters. He enjoyed working on his tractor and could fix almost anything. He had an amazing amount of tenacity and always had a variety of projects in the works. He continuously studied astronomy, history, science, and politics. He and Suzanne enjoyed travels to Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, and Canada, and other places in the US including Hawaii and Alaska. They had their final cruise to Mexico in January of this year. In his last three years, he worked with Dean and Geraldine Schwarz, of Decorah, IA, as a collaborator of the book, Marguerite Wildenhain and the Bauhaus: An Eyewitness Anthology. Jonathan's chapter, "Love, because nothing else matters, " depicts his life at Pond Farm. He was so happy to be able to see his writing in print along with many other chapters about how important the Herr Family has been to the fields of art and creativity. He leaves numerous family, extended family and friends who will miss his mischievous smile and quick wit. Besides his most-loved wife Suzanne, cherished daughter Ashley and unborn grandchild of Amarillo, TX, he leaves his dearly-loved sister Gail Steele of Hayward, CA; niece Jane Steele; nephews Timothy (Deborah), Todd, and Sasha (Wanda) Steele and their families; stepmother Frances Isley; brother Galen (Delia) Herr; and nephews Christopher, Brandon and Daniel Herr all of Lemon Grove, CA; father-in-law Frank W. Moore; sister-in-law Jane Moore and nieces Jamie and Jennifer Hearn, all of Temple City, CA. He also leaves long-time dear family friend Nichae Blume Patten of Guerneville and his cohorts in mischief since high school John (Linda) Pearson, Parlen (Barbara) McKenna and Patrick (Karen) Stoll. Another of his great pleasures was finding his biological roots and he leaves siblings Clark (Rosemary), Brad (Bonnie) and Win (Anne) Gruening all of Juneau, AK; and half siblings, Kim (Steve) Gruening McNickle of Gig Harbor, WA, Tiffany Gruening Williams and Peter Gruening of Seattle, WA; and first cousin Jeanie (Stan) Chasen of Cloverdale, CA. Besides his parents he is preceded in death by his biological parents, Huntington Gruening and Elizabeth Coomber; brothers Jan Herr and Gordon Herr, Jr.; brother-in-law John "Jack" Steele and mother-in-law Marjorie Moore. A celebration of his life will be held at a later time. Memories of Jonathan would be much appreciated and can be sent to suzmherr@aol.com. In memory of Jonathan, blood or monetary donations may be directed to the Blood Bank of the Redwoods. Other memorials might be given to the Santa Rosa Memorial Hospice, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, or charities of the donor's choice.