Fallen giants

The deaths last week of county Supervisor Mary Anne Houx (on Friday, Nov. 17, at the age of 73) and eminent local historian and educator John Nopel (on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 92) were sad news for all Butte County residents who value public spiritedness. And those who knew them personally are mourning the loss of two extraordinarily generous, intelligent and warm-hearted people.

For as long as we knew her, we referred to Houx as “our favorite Republican.” She was never doctrinaire about politics, always coming down on the side of common sense and generosity. When she used her party affiliation to good advantage—as she did during the early 1990s, when the county was flirting with bankruptcy and she was its principal envoy to the Pete Wilson administration in Sacramento—it benefited all of us.

We’ll miss her dedication (to children especially) and no-nonsense approach to public service. For 30 years she did good work grounded in compassion, expecting nothing in return, meeting crises with humor and forbearance and earning the respect of all who knew her. She was the very model of a citizen-politician, and Butte County is a better place because of her.

John Nopel was equally public spirited. A pillar of the education community for many years until his retirement, he was also the most successful private collector of historical documents, newspapers and photos in the area. For years he generously shared his collection with local media, including the CN&R. More than anyone, he was our keeper of the past.

We’ve lost two of our foremost elders. They will be missed.