Louis James Bruhnke April 27, 1961 - Nov. 7, 2022

Horse 20,000 Miles on a

Argentina and their three children. Vacations were often taken in the family vehicle, a 1968 Volkswagen bus. Over the years his passion for surfing shifted to kite surfing.

Louis was of service to the county of Humboldt and surrounding areas from 1996 to 2020 working as a paramedic for City Ambulance in Eureka, Fortuna, and Garberville, for K’ima:w Medical Center in Hoopa and Willow Creek, and for Cal-ORE Life Flight. He concurrently served as an administrator for North Coast Emergency Medical Services. During his years living in Humboldt County, Louis participated in various disaster preparedness operations in the United States and in Ukraine, earned his private pilot’s license, and a master’s degree in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Louis remarried in 2018 to his second wife from Kiev, Ukraine, and in 2020 they moved Sacramento where he served as the Chief Deputy Director of Emergency Medical Services Authority for the State of California.

Louis is preceded in death by parents Consuelo Hancock and Louis Bruhnke Sr., and his daughter-in- law Hannah Baker. He is survived by his wife Zabashta (Lesya) Oleksandra, daughters Emma and Andrea Bruhnke, stepsons Nicolas Baker and Danylo Oleksandra, daughter-in-law Sandra Hoff, his grandchildren Marcelo, Mariana, and Sebastian Baker, and Camila Plants, siblings Jackie, Aaron and Rachel Bruhnke, first wife and lifelong friend Rosana Bruhnke, and his ride partner Vladimir Fissenko. Louis was known by family, friends, and colleagues to be private and humble despite his many achievements. He was studious and dedicated to his work but also took his free time seriously. He cherished opportunities to travel internationally, get out in the ocean or jump in his airplane on a sunny afternoon. He was a proud and loving father and grandfather and will be dearly missed.