Obituary of Tim Huebner

Tim Huebner of Santa Cruz, born November 15, 1959, passed away suddenly on October 17, 2015. Known to many in the Santa Cruz area rowing community as the Gentle Giant, he shared their love of rowing and found a home for his generous spirit there. Raised on the Mississippi River in Alma, Wisconsin, Tim is survived by his brother, Tom Huebner; sisters, Kathy Olson, Candy Huebner, and Mary Rivers; and nieces and nephews, Kim Hall, Nick Huebner, Tiffany Gallagher, Annie Jensen, Michelle Rivers, and Rachel Rivers. Tim enjoyed a successful career in electrical engineering that took him to Boulder, Seattle, San Jose, and finally to his home in Santa Cruz. He was a respected colleague and friend at Newport Corporation. He was hired in 1997 as Regional Sales Manager for the Bay Area. In his 18 years of service, he was often the top performer in North America, receiving President's Club recognition and numerous Salesperson of the Year awards, most recently in 2014. His job gave him a chance to help people solve technical problems with his clever solutions. Tim felt extremely lucky to have a job that gave him time to play and the means to do it. Tim's love of rowing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was rekindled on Monterey Bay through the Santa Cruz Rowing Club, where the members became his family. Boats, especially rowing shells, were his passion in life. He relished the technical aspects of boats, rowing, and racing, and wrote a blog about his rowing adventures. He knew he must be having fun when he had to open his bailer. Besides rowing, he loved mountain biking and hiking and enjoyed traveling to Mendocino, which he called a "playground for adults". He had a rare blood type and continued his generosity by donating blood on a regular basis. Services will be announced at a later date. Tim's family will designate a memorial. "Being in the presence of the mighty ocean brings me peace." - Judith Frenette