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Edwin Gray Katlas passed away at the age of 86 on January 30, 2024. He was born on December 13, 1937 in San Francisco to Karl Edwin Katlas, a Ship’s Officer with Matson Co. and Agnes Campbell Silver, a public health nurse.
Edwin’s father emigrated from Denmark at the age of 15. There were too many Hansens on board the ship, so he was told to change his name. As they were passing erupting Mt. Katla, which is on the southern coast of Iceland, Karl chose Katlas as his new name.
As a young lad the family lived in Novato and while his father was at sea, Edwin and his mother raised and sold chickens on their small farm. Ed always had animals, especially cats and a favorite dog named George.
Edwin spent his high school years in Okinawa as his father was commissioned by the army to bring in supplies to the troops. His mother became the public health nurse. Edwin went to school with army officers’ children and made many lifelong friendships. Upon returning to the bay area after graduation and as the others, returned to the U.S., they held yearly reunions and kept in touch for many years.
Edwin lived with his aunt and uncle and three cousins, Donald, Alan and Janet. Hunting and fishing were a big part of Humboldt everyone’s lives. Ed attended City College of Marin and then transferred to Humboldt State where he received a degree in forestry. Immediately after graduation, he was drafted into the army for 2 years. The army told him he could choose whatever country he wanted to go to after training. He picked Germany and other European countries, which he thought would be a good way to see the world. They sent him right back to Okinawa.
Ed always referred to himself as a forester. He was hired on by Bureau of Land Management and had different titles managing the forest land, even doing some firefighting. He moved to Susanville, Redding, Washington D.C. and finally to Ukiah in 1979 as Chief of Resources. Ed loved being in the outdoors especially fishing. For a least 25 years, he went to Sitka, Alaska fishing for Halibut and Salmon. His favorite boat and skipper of the boat was Simon. He stocked the freezer with fresh fish every year.
Ed always had a passion for traveling and upon retirement he traveled to places like Panama, China, India, The Galapagos, Cabo San Lucas, Switzerland, and even took a long train trip across Siberia. Back home he enjoyed the times camping on his cousin Janet’s boat at Steamboat Slough.
He and his partner, Shari, traveled in his camper to many places and especially liked voyages on river cruises in the United States: the Columbia, up and down the Mississippi, going up the coast of Nantucket, Maine, Martha’s Vineyard and all the Great Lakes.
In 2008 he bought a vacation home with his cousin Donald, in Bodega Bay, overlooking Bodega Harbor. Lots of time was spent fishing on Donald’s boat and many fresh crab dinners were enjoyed there for 13 years.
Ed was a big, yet quiet man. He was a voracious reader and was also very creative. He was quite a saver and knew someday whatever it was he found and saved, would come in handy for a repair or to build something new. He looked forward to his weekly coffee group of retirees from BLM sitting around retelling stories. He also looked forward to "teatime", sitting on his patio in his Adirondack chair he built watching and feeding the birds and throwing the ball for the dog. Ed lived frugally, yet was very generous and donated to causes he felt were important, most notably large sums to Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public lands, Salvation Army and Ducks Unlimited.
Ed is preceded in death by his parents and cousin Alan. There will not be a service, as per his wishes. His ashes will be spread at Seal Rock off of Bodega Harbor sometime in the spring or summer.