Obituary: Conor W. Eckholm (May 31, 1979 – April 29, 2026)

Conor W. Eckholm, 46, of South Lake Tahoe, California, passed away in his sleep on April 29, 2026.

Born in Anchorage, Alaska, he was raised in Juneau, where he built lifelong friendships and developed a deep love for the natural world.

Conor W. Eckholm

Conor earned a degree in fisheries biology from Humboldt State University and dedicated his career to marine ecosystems — working for Kuiper Mariculture on Humboldt Bay, as production manager for the Humboldt Bay Oyster Company, hatchery manager for Oceans Alaska Marine Science Center in Ketchikan, and most recently as operations assistant for Blue Starr Oyster Company on Prince of Wales Island. He also worked as a deckhand aboard fishing and tender vessels. In his final chapter, he relocated to South Lake Tahoe to be near his children.

Conor was a prolific artist who dreamed of earning his MFA and teaching art to children. He was known for his warmth, generosity, loyalty and humor — a man who made friends everywhere he went and kept them for life.

He is preceded in death by his father, Eric Eckholm. He is survived by his children, Otto and Harper and their mother, Carolyn; his sister, Kristin Eckholm and her partner Ryan; his mother, Judy Erickson and stepfather Gregg; stepmother, Janet Eckholm and her partner Jay; stepsisters Tamara Rowcroft (Michael) and Kara Erickson (Derek) and their children; niece Ruby and nephew Brooks Airhart; and many beloved aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A celebration of life will be held on June 28, 2026, in South Lake Tahoe, California.

The sea has many voices. Conor Eckholm was one of them.