June 3, 1945–June 17, 2018
Renita died at the age of 73 in the Health Center at Forest Hill Manor in Pacific Grove, California. For some 18 years, her body had been the battleground for a back-and-forth struggle between the medical arts and a rare form of cancer. With Renita’s strength and courage, the cancer was held at bay, but the battleground was eventually devastated and finally overwhelmed.
Renita was born and grew up on the Monterey Peninsula, attending local public schools before earning bachelor’s degrees in botany and biology at Humboldt State. After her father died of cancer, she returned to MPC to study nursing, and thereafter she practiced her profession on the Peninsula until she retired.
Renita took after her father in the multiplicity and variety of her hobbies. Among other things, she built meticulously detailed miniature doll houses, established and operated a succulent nursery, practiced weaving and other fabric arts, and remodeled a couple of homes, in addition to being a great cook and gardener. She was a member of the SPCA, the Pacific Grove Heritage Society, and the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.
She took after her mother in her love of gardening and caring for animals, particularly animals that had been abandoned or were just not very useful. One of her beloved pets was an aged sheep-herding dog that had been dismissed from service because it never learned to follow directions, although it herded pigeons with great enthusiasm. In nursing, she enjoyed working with elderly people, from whom she learned a great deal by listening and paying attention to them. She was curious, feisty, thoughtful, funny, loving, and kind. We miss her.
Renita was preceded in death by her father Warren in 1981 and her mother Bonnie in 2008. She is survived by generations of cousins, her brother, Skip, and numerous faithful friends.
Renita very much appreciated the expert care and attention she received from the staff at Hospice of the Central Coast and the Health Center at Forest Hill Manor.
Gatherings in her memory will be held privately. Memorial donations may be sent to the SPCA for Monterey County, P.O. Box 3058, Monterey, CA 93942.
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