The daughter of Rinaldo and Emma Gabrielli, immigrants from Lucca, Italy, Rena was raised in East Sacramento’s Little Italy neighborhood. She attended El Dorado Elementary School, Kit Carson Junior High School and Sacramento High School. A proud Dragon of the class of 1947, Rena enjoyed being a part of student committees and organizations, including the Drill Squad and school newspaper staff.
Upon graduation from SHS, Rena enrolled at Sacramento Junior College where she pursued her interest in journalism. Rena was on the student council, rally committee, and on the yearbook and The Pony Express staffs. She was the campus correspondent to the Sacramento Bee and a charter member of Eta Upsilon Gamma sorority. Rena continued her studies and extra-curricular activities at the newly founded Sacramento State College and was co-editor of the first yearbook ever published at SSC.
Rena met her future husband Walter A. Flanders, Jr. at Sacramento Jr. College and they married on June 17, 1951 at St. Mary’s Church in Sacramento. Rena and Walt moved to the River Park neighborhood in 1958, where they lived until Walter passed away in 2009.
Rena is survived by her daughter, Lisa Jo Flanders and her son, Mark Flanders, both of Sacramento. She was a loving Nonni to six grandchildren: Julie Kale, Jamie Kale, Katie Flanders Mahoney, Kellie Flanders, Richard Flanders and Patrick Flanders. She was great grandmother to Kennedy and Hadley, aunt to Honey Silberstein of Roseville, Justine Speer of Lapeer MI, and great aunt to many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, sister Sue Stahl and brother Justin Gabrielli.
Rena worked for SMUD in the 1950s and 1960s before returning to CSUS to obtain her BA and MA in Education. She earned her General Elementary Teaching Credential and Specialist Teaching Credential, and received her Lifetime Specialist Teaching Credential in LH/SH. Rena was a Special Education teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School for 20 years. She was devoted to her students and was known to stay in touch with them after they left Mark Twain. Rena was honored by the PTA for Outstanding Service for Youth and Community and with a PTA Tree of Knowledge Scholarship Fund given in her name.
Rena was happy volunteering for community organizations including St. Mary’s School Mothers Club, St. Francis High School Mothers Club, Jesuit High School Loyola Guild, Reach for Recovery with the American Cancer Society, the Sacramento Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and United Cerebral Palsy. She was a long time parishioner and volunteer at St. Mary’s Church. Together with Walt and her daughter, Rena was a long time event volunteer and supporter of the Bay Area based Scleroderma Research Foundation.
Both Rena and Walt were members of Lions Clubs International. Their dedication to the Lions service organization spanned over 25 years. Lion Rena’s membership began as a charter member of the Camellia Lioness Club, where she served as club president and in numerous other capacities. Together with Walt, Rena gave her time and talent to work on many zone and district programs and committees. Rena received the Northern California Lions Sight Association Fred O. Summer Fellowship award, the Students Speakers Foundation Harry J. Aslan Fellow title, and the Melvin Jones Fellow award for dedicated humanitarian services to the Lions Clubs International Foundation. Their work with Lions Clubs International gave them the opportunity to travel to conferences and conventions throughout the U.S. and world.
In 1979, Rena fulfilled a life-long dream to travel to Tuscany to find her extended relatives. She succeeded in locating many cousins and returned to Italy five times to visit her large, extended family. Walt and Rena also attended Walter’s Air Force Squadron reunions in cities around the US. They loved to take cruises, vacations in Hawaii and at the Feather River Inn, and spending time at the family beach house in Dillon Beach. They were in the stands to cheer on granddaughter Kellie while she played in American Softball Association tournaments. In fact, Nonni and Grandpa rarely missed Kellie’s games as her team played and won qualifying tournaments on the way to the ASA championship tournaments. They loved watching their grandsons play soccer, and always had front row seats to see granddaughter Jamie perform on community and professional theater stages throughout the area.
Rena was an avid golfer, enjoyed playing bridge, and painting and drawing. Rena and Walt loved a good party and enjoyed dancing at the themed dances of River Park’s Sansa Nome dance club. Nothing made Rena happier than hosting gatherings of family and friends to celebrate special occasions, birthdays, and holidays. Nothing…except cherishing her six grandchildren. Ciao, My Nonni!
Visitation will take place on Tuesday, April 19th from 10am-12pm followed by a Rosary at 12pm at Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger Funeral Home, 5401 Folsom Blvd. Memorial Mass will be held on Wednesday, April 20th at 10am at St. Mary’s Church, 1333 58th St. Please make a donation in Rena’s honor to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements under the direction of Nicoletti, Culjis & Herberger Funeral Home, Sacramento, CA.
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