Memorial service scheduled for Mike Svedise, owner of Santa Rosa Seafood

Friends of veteran North Coast fisherman and seafood purveyor Mike Svedise are invited to attend a graveside memorial service in his honor at 11 a.m. Monday.

The crowd is likely to be large.

Svedise, who died unexpectedly June 23, had a large circle of friends and fans, judging from the outpouring of sorrow and fond memories among acquaintances and customers around the region, many of whom describe a man of warmth, authenticity and kindness.

Svedise, 59, was the owner of Santa Rosa Seafood and Santa Rosa Seafood Raw Bar and Grill next door on Santa Rosa Avenue.

With his wife of 33 years, Trudy Svedise, he was widely known through sales of fish products at many North Bay farmer’s markets. Popular items included trademarked “smoasted” salmon and trout, which is both smoked and roasted.

“Anecdotes on anecdotes on anecdotes,” is how Svedise’s oldest son, Sal Svedise, characterized the recent deluge of stories about his father. “The cards are still coming. We’re still getting flowers in the store, stuff to our personal house, all this stuff.”

A third-generation fisherman who grew up sneaking aboard his uncle’s fishing boat in San Francisco’s North Beach, Svedise eventually took over his uncle’s smokehouse before moving his family north, landing in Sonoma County and, ultimately, Windsor. Svedise continued to fish out of Bodega Bay, but also ran the seafood store, specializing in fresh caught local fish and exotic fish and shellfish. He and his family opened the restaurant two years ago.

Svedise and his wife raised three sons and a daughter, all of whom wound up in the seafood industry, allowing the family to keep a fleet of three fishing boats on the coast, running retail operations at the store and multiple farmers markets, as well as the raw bar and grill.

In addition to his wife and oldest son, Svedise is survived by sons Nicholas Svedise, of Santa Rosa, and Joseph Svedise, of Windsor; daughter, Anna Svedise, of Windsor; and two grandchildren.

Family and friends will gather Monday at Santa Rosa Memorial Park Cemetery, 1900 Franklin Ave., in Santa Rosa.

“Everybody’s invited,” Sal Svedise said.