Photos & Memories
Obituary
Emily Esther Haiston (Penzin), 84, of Petaluma, California, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2026. Born on February 23, 1942, in Manhattan, New York, to John Eric and Emily Penzin, she moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of four. Though her family relocated to California during her senior year of high school, she always considered Tulsa her true home and often shared fond stories of her childhood there. She graduated from Carlmont High School in San Carlos, California, in 1960. In 1964, she married and eventually became a mother to four daughters. In 1976, the family moved from the Bay Area to rural Sebastopol. Emily was a lifelong animal lover who cared for many dogs, horses and chickens throughout the years, though she held a special place in her heart for her cats. In 1983, she and her daughters moved to Healdsburg. Emily was a talented artist with a natural eye for design. She spent many years working as a graphic artist, specializing in wine label design, and later transitioned into retail, where she focused on furniture and home décor. She was an avid reader who spent nearly her entire life with a book in her hand, enjoying non-fiction most of all. In 1996, Emily moved to Paradise, California, to care for her father following the passing of her mother. She lived there until November 8, 2018, when the Camp Fire destroyed the town and her home. She managed to escape the flames with only a duffle bag of belongings and her three cats. The silver lining of that tragedy was her move to Petaluma, which allowed her to be much closer to her family. She spent her final seven and a half years enjoying that time with her loved ones. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Eric and Emily Penzin, and her nephew, Teymoor Ghashghai. She is survived by her four children, Lisa Paulson (Andy), Erin Schleuter (Cliff), Shannon Gilkison (Gary) and Catherine Smith (Brian); her grandchildren, Haiston Fleming, Gunnar Paulson, Emily Gilkison, Dane Paulson, Lochlyn Fleming, Jack Gilkison and Grace Gilkison; her sister, Beth Ghashghai; and her nephew, Kayvon Ghashghai. A small family gathering will be held to remember and celebrate Emily’s life.