Mel Coleman Shuman

1950 - 2022

Mel Coleman Shuman

Mel Coleman Shuman, 75, a long-time resident of Humboldt County, currently of Noti, Oregon, died at home on Saturday, March 26, 2022, after a battle with metastatic melanoma.
He was born June 26, 1946, in San Francisco, California to the late Francis Coleman and Gwendoline Ethel Taylor Shuman. The family later moved to Menlo Park, California where Mel attended Menlo-Atherton High School. Mel completed his undergraduate degree in Physical Education at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, where he was an exceptional outfielder on the baseball team, earning an award for Most Valuable Player.
Mel married his high school sweetheart, Lynn Robertson. They divorced in 1972.
Mel fell in love with Humboldt County and jumped at the opportunity when he saw a flier at university for a job on a ranch. It was here that he met Guy Kerr, a relationship that started his career as a beef cattle rancher. While Mel was working on the Kerr Ranch as a ranch hand, he met Lauren Dugan. Lauren would become his partner in life and as ranchers.
When Guy Kerr died in 1976, Mel and Lauren purchased his equipment and cattle and leased the Kerr ranch located in Maple Creek. They worked tirelessly to improve the quality of their cattle. In 1989, they were recognized as the Outstanding Commercial Producer of the Year by the California Beef Cattle Improvement Association, a tremendous honor for them both. Also in 1989, they relocated to the May Ranch in Bridgeville. In 2016, they fulfilled a lifelong dream of purchasing a farm and moved to Oregon.
Mel was a hardworking, self-reliant rancher, a diligent steward of the land and his cattle, and a dedicated member of his community. He was an active member of the Maple Creek volunteer Fire Department and a respected California Department of Agriculture relief brand inspector from 1998 to 2005.
Mel was a devoted friend. He met Andy Bunnell in 1972 and in the words of his son Cole Bunnell (Mel's namesake) "Mel was the cornerstone of my Dad's life". They shared a love of working outdoors, baseball, and the open road - "whatever was around the next bend". And it was Mel who introduced Andy and Anita.
He is survived by his partner in life and work Lauren Shuman, of Noti, Oregon; a niece, Serla Hirschler and her husband Dave Hirschler of Chillicothe, Ohio; a nephew, Bret Madhvani and his partner Dallas Everleth, of San Francisco, California; grandniece and nephews, Grace, Josiah, Nathan, and Caleb Hirschler; and his sister June's children; his devoted friends Andy Bunnell and Andy's family - wife Anita, children Cole, Cody, Malinda Hinton and her husband Jesse, and Rachel Sarvinsky and her husband Casey; and Pat Delaney and his wife Jean.
He was predeceased by his sister Sharon Lee Madhvani, his half-sister, June Donegan, and his half-brother, Russ Shuman.
Please consider donations to the Melanoma Research Foundation, in Mel's name, as an expression of sympathy in lieu of flowers.
The family would like to thank Mason, Jayden, Daniel, and Brighton Hospice for their exceptional care.