Heather Fagundes Obituary

FAGUNDES, Heather L. Dec. 10, 1968 - Dec. 9, 2014. Resident of El Dorado Hills. Vice President of Human Resources for The McClatchy Company. Survived by her two daughters, Emily and Kate, her husband, Ed Fagundes, her father, Dean Loughran, and sister Kim Tarnutzer. Predeceased by her mother, Joan Loughran. Lovely. Warm. Compassionate. Vivacious. Smart. Fun. Funny. Brave. Caring. Devoted. Protective. Talented. Loving. Gifted. These are just some of the words and thoughts Heather's friends, family and colleagues have used to describe her in the days following her death, which came much too soon from cancer. Heather's family was her greatest source of joy. She spent countless weekends on the athletic fields and courts throughout Northern California watching and cheering on her daughters and their sports teams. Family time on the coast and vacations at Lake Almanor were regular highlights. Heather worked 22 years for The McClatchy Company, the publisher of The Sacramento Bee and 28 other daily newspapers and their related print and digital media operations across the country. She joined the company in 1992 in an entry-level position in corporate human resources and rose through the ranks to become the vice president of human resources for one of the largest newspaper and digital publishers in the United States. As a senior executive for a publicly traded corporation, she is remembered most - loved, even - for her humanity. Colleagues and admirers have offered up a variety of remembrances: A wonderful friend. A great boss. A mentor. An energetic spirit. A fierce defender of all employees, regardless of title or station. A supportive colleague. A good listener. A problem-solver. Heather was born in Redwood City, Calif., and grew up in San Mateo. She graduated from Hillsdale High School. She earned a bachelor's degree in communications from California State University, Sacramento, and a master's degree in human resources management from Golden Gate University.