Obituary: Teresa Hukari

Teresa grew up on the family orchard in Hood River, Oregon. She attended Linfield College and University of Oregon where her physical prowess and mental strength led to outstanding success on the university rowing team. Teresa’s brilliance was unmistakable. A gifted writer with a sharp intellect and a quick, generous wit, she brought light and clarity to everyone around her. Her love of language shaped her life, graduating with an English degree to becoming the person so many of us trusted with our words. She proofed, edited, and crafted copy not just with skill, but with heart. Her written word inspired many, and her presence made us better.

Taking on the challenges of the mountains was Teresa’s passion whether rock climbing, snowboarding, skiing, or touring the backcountry. Teresa enjoyed a long, impactful career in the outdoor industry including A16 and Smith Optics where she developed deep connections, forming relationships that lasted a lifetime.

Twenty years ago on March 4, Teresa was skiing Baldy Mountain in Sun Valley, Idaho, when an accident left her a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down. In an instant, in her words, “My life just changed forever.”

What followed was decades of courage and a desire to contribute to others. Of learning to inhabit a body that no longer responded as it once had. Of relying on others for the most basic needs. Of vulnerability and suffering most of us will never fully understand. Caregivers, family, and friends were lifelines. But the greater strength was Teresa’s. To wake up every day in a compromised body and still choose presence. To accept help. To keep relationships alive. To allow yourself to be seen not for what you can do, but for who you are. There is a quiet heroism in that kind of living.

On Feb. 27, surrounded by her family, Teresa passed away following complications from pneumonia, yet her indestructible spirit lives on and her smile, which could light up a room, will long be remembered. She is survived by her sister Cheryl Puddy; her brothers Bruce and Brian Hukari; her sister-in-law Tami Hukari; nephews Fletcher and Jackson Hukari; nieces Kate Puddy Hartley (Drew) and Sarah King-Puddy (Dusty); great-niece Isabella Michael King and Brian Barsotti of Ketchum, Idaho; plus an entire village of caregivers and friends to whom the family is forever grateful.

Teresa’s accident resulted in the formation of the non-profit Bald Mountain Rescue Fund to assist Wood River Valley families emotionally and financially when a family member of our community suffers devastating illness or injury. Teresa wrote the vision statement of BMRF and contributed to those in need by sending applications and words of encouragement. She also sat on the board of Swiftsure Therapeutic Equestrian Center where she rode horses for relief from the confines of her wheelchair.

A celebration of Teresa’s life will be held at the Mt. Hood Winery in Hood River Sunday June 7 at 3 p.m. In Teresa’s memory, donations may be made to the Hood River Crag Rat’s, cragrats.org or Oregon Adaptive Sports, oregonadaptivesports.org.

Columbia Gorge News, March 18, 2026