CHICO, CA (MPG) – More than 3,000 people attended Saturday’s memorial service for U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa at Chico’s Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, drawing national, state, and local leaders alongside family, friends, and constituents.
Those who gathered weren’t there to remember a congressman so much as a neighbor, a farmer from Richvale, and a man whose roots in the North State ran deeper than the office he held.
“Doug was not someone who simply held office,” Paradise Mayor Steve Crowder said. “He worked, listened, showed up, stayed engaged, and cared deeply about the people he represented.”
LaMalfa, 65, a fourth generation rice farmer and politician, died unexpectedly on Jan. 6 after suffering a medical emergency at his home. He spent more than a decade in Washington, but friends said he never stopped being the man who learned early that work starts before sunrise and that loyalty is measured in actions, not announcements.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson spoke about LaMalfa with the kind of affection that comes from years of working alongside someone whose character never wavered. He said LaMalfa’s sudden passing had left colleagues in Washington trying to adjust to a reality that felt deeply out of place, noting how quickly the loss was felt across the institution. Johnson told the crowd that LaMalfa was “a truly great man,” a description he said he did not use lightly in a place filled with powerful and ambitious people.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy said his bond with LaMalfa began long before Congress, recalling that both entered the California State Assembly the same year and built a friendship that never changed, no matter how far their careers carried them.
The Washington contingent, which included LaMalfa’s staff, flew to Sacramento for the memorial on Air Force 2, offered by the vice president so they could travel together and get ahead of the storm that hit 40 states on Sunday. They arrived at 5 a.m. Saturday and flew back the same evening.
Attendees included Governor Gavin Newsom, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, and the bipartisan congressional delegation, who sat in the front row with LaMalfa’s family.
Mark Lavy choked back tears as he stepped to the podium, standing beside his cousin’s silver casket draped with an American flag and topped with a spray of rice stalks, pheasant feathers, and LaMalfa’s cream colored Stetson. The hat, a style LaMalfa embraced after buying television icon Cal Worthington’s cowboy hat at a fundraiser for a rural hospital, stood as a symbol of the consistency that defined him, whether he was at the Capitol or a community barbecue.
Lavy remembered LaMalfa as a man of faith, humility, and steady purpose, shaped by the land and the family that came before him.
“He was such a special man, who was so loved and respected,” Lavy said.
Saturday’s service blended formal tributes with moments of levity, reflecting the congressman’s personality and the close knit nature of the communities he served. Large screens displayed photos from his life on the farm, his early political career, and his years traveling the district.
Assemblyman James Gallagher remembered LaMalfa, his mentor, as a steadfast advocate for rural California and a lawmaker who built his political identity around agriculture, water, wildfire recovery, and constituent service.
“Doug was always there,” Gallagher said. “He was there for his family; he was there for his staff, who he treated like family. He swore me into the bar when I became a lawyer, with the admonition that I be an ‘untangler and not a tangler.’ He officiated weddings, came to graduations, and had a nickname for everyone.”
Gallagher said LaMalfa called him Hymie, but more often called him little brother.
“I loved that,” Gallagher said. “He was like a big brother to me. His slogan was ‘He’s one of us.’ It was not exclusive. It was him saying, I’m just like you.”
Family members, longtime staff, and colleagues spoke about LaMalfa’s work ethic and his commitment to the district. Several shared personal stories illustrating his loyalty, humor, and determination to deliver for small towns often overlooked in statewide policy debates. They described him as a lawmaker who returned calls, showed up in person, and stayed engaged long after headlines faded.
Attention then turned to Jill LaMalfa and the family, who were greeted with a standing ovation.
Jill LaMalfa reflected on the life she shared with her husband and the legacy their family is now entrusted to continue. She noted that the word “legacy” had come up often throughout the week, reminding the crowd that legacy is the story of a person’s life and the footprints they leave on their family, their community, and the world.
To the couple’s infant granddaughter, Jill LaMalfa said her husband devoted every ounce of his work so that she, her parents, her aunts and uncles, and families across the state and country could grow up with basic freedoms and liberties.
“It took him away a lot,” she said, “but that passion is what drove him.”
She then offered messages to the couple’s four children, Kyle, Allison, Sophia, and Natalie, encouraging them to continue the values their father lived by.
LaMalfa’s memorial service was a ticketed event held under tight security by North State law enforcement agencies.
Alexandria Jones, who opened the program with the national anthem, closed it by leading the crowd in singing “God Bless America,” an enduring tribute to a man remembered for his deep faith and love of country.