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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><BR><PRE>Tim McKay, the executive director of the Northcoast Environmental Center
(NEC) for virtually its entire 35-year existence, died at Stone Lagoon
of an apparently massive heart attack on Sunday while he was engaged in
one of his favorite activities: birding.
McKay, 59, was a relentless and inspirational defender of what he called
the Klamath-Siskiyou. A native of Stockton who spent his boyhood in
Benicia, McKay's interest in the environment bloomed during a family
trip to Alaska in the 1950s.
After coming to Arcata to study at Humboldt State, where he was a
student government vice-president and eventually received a degree in
history, McKay did a stint with the Forest Service in 1971. He also
helped pioneer an early conservation group called Save Our Siskiyous.
A federal grant allowed him to become co-director, and later executive
director (and sole employee) of the NEC. He had guided its concerns,
activities, goals and dreams ever since.
McKay leaves a daughter, Laurel, 25; son, Forrest, 21; a brother, Gerry,
his partner Michelle Marta, and numerous relatives and friends.
Plans for a celebration of his life in August are in progress.
Contact can be made through the NEC 707.822.6918 (M_F 10-6) <A class=moz-txt-link-abbreviated href="">nec@yournec.org</A>
<A class=moz-txt-link-rfc2396E href=""><http://webmail.foggy.net/src/compose.php?send_to=nec%40yournec.org></A>
yournec.org
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