Mary Penney Rabener, 90

Mary Penney Rabener, long time resident of Alameda, California, passed away peacefully Thursday, April 30, 2015, at Felipe Care Home in Danville, California.

Mary was born June 6, 1924. Mary grew up on a farm in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Montana in Ferndale, near Bigfork. Her parents were the late Donald Penney and Mabel Johnson Penney, plus Mary enjoyed the embrace of her extended Norwegian family. She graduated as valedictorian of her class at Big Fork High School.

During World War II she worked in Helena for the state of Montana, and there met her husband, William Rabener, at a USO dance. They married in 1943, and after Bill returned from the war in the Pacific, they moved to Los Angeles near Bill’s large family.

Mary worked while Bill attended USC on the GI Bill and received his degree in pharmacy. With their two daughters, Nancy and Laurie, they shared in the many embracing picnics and holiday gatherings with Bill’s family.

In 1957, the family moved north to San Jose for four years, and after purchasing Sutherland Pharmacy in Alameda, they moved to Alameda in 1961. Through Bill’s involvement in the Lions Club of Alameda, they enjoyed many philanthropic and social occasions including dancing, which they loved. Mary and Bill worked as a team together in the pharmacy until Bill passed away suddenly in 1975.

Thereafter, Mary worked for and retired from the Alameda County Employees Retirement Association. Mary was a long-time volunteer for Alameda Hospital Auxiliary, sewing puppets for the children. She was active in the Soroptimist Club of Alameda to help promote education and economic opportunities to improve the lives of women. She was a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

Mary had a keen artistic sensibility, as expressed through her tasteful and excellent sewing skills, making beautiful clothes for her daughters and granddaughter and lovely accents for her home.

Mary will be loved and remembered for her giving, loving, and compassionate nature, for her love of animals, for her integrity, wisdom, intelligence, artistic taste, and graciousness.

Mary is survived by her devoted children, Nancy Rabener and Tom Stimpfle of Fairbanks, Alaska, and Laurie Beasley and Paul Beasley of San Leandro, California and her beloved granddaughter, Mary Beasley.

We are deeply grateful to Felipe Care Home of Danville, California, for their warm, kind and exceptionally excellent care of Mary in her final years.

Mary’s family wishes to thank you all for your outpouring of love and are privately celebrating her life.