A resident of Annapolis for over fifty years, Rina was born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey by the late Dominick Pennacchia and Helen Yolanda (Taraschi) Pennacchia.
She was a graduate of Princeton High School, Golden Beacon Junior College in Wilmington, DE and American University of Washington, DC.
Rina was a trail blazer for working women in the 70’s and 80’s. She rarely accepted “no” when she wanted to do something and with tenacity and aplomb accomplished much in her life. She worked for a short time at ETS in Princeton NJ before moving to Washington DC. She worked for the Urban Institute in its early days helping develop a compensation and classification system, minority recruitment and affirmative action programs. After twelve years she resigned as Vice President and Corporate Secretary in 1983. Rina went on to work for Freddie Mac as one of the only female administrators as Director of Administration, Facilities and Real Estate. She worked for Social and Scientific Systems developing affirmative action programs, restructuring benefit programs and successfully defending against EEO lawsuits. She served as the Director of Human Resources for seven years at Howard Hughes Medical Institute where she restructured personnel services, counseled managers, supervisors and employees in 35 sites and 28 states. By the time she left, HHMI grew to over 3000 staff located at 72 sites. She completed her professional career as Vice President of Human Resources and Talent Management at the National Council on Aging (NCOA). The ten years she spent at NCOA was one of her most rewarding experiences. She retired from NCOA in May of 2019.
Rina was an avid traveler having visited Australia; New Zealand; St. Petersburg, Russia; Austria, Great Britain, Ireland, France, Spain and especially loved spending time in Ferentino, Italy with family. She was an avid reader, loved culinary arts, classical music and truly cared about people and their wellbeing. She was an active member and officer in the Washington Personnel Association (WPA), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the American Society of Personnel Administration (ASPA).
Rina was predeceased by her sister, Angela (Pennacchia) Bechtelheimer. Rina is survived by her sister, Patricia Giallella and her husband Victor of Princeton, New Jersey; her niece Jennifer Cantalupo and husband Michael of South Easton, Massachusetts; her nephew Andrew Giallella of Ocean, New Jersey; her Great Niece and Goddaughter, Gabriella Cantalupo and a Great Nephew Dominick Cantalupo; a dear Brother-in-Law Paul Bechtelheimer and his wife Christine of Sewell, NJ; longtime friend and companion Christopher Kuhn of Annapolis, Maryland; and several extended cousins in the Taraschi, Zoccola, Caponi and Zorochin families. She will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her.
Friends and relatives in Maryland are invited to a Memorial Mass that will be offered for Rina on Saturday, March 14, 10:30 am at Saint Mary’s Church of Annapolis, Maryland located at 109 Duke of Gloucester Street Annapolis, MD 21401. For directions to the church please visit their website at www.stmarysannapolis.org.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Rina’s honor to Dorothea’s House, 120 John Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.
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