Rena (Myles) Gustafson

Rena Mae Myles (first married name-Jones) Gustafson, passed through Heaven’s gate on March 17, 2016 after a 8-year battle with cancer while her devoted and loving family surrounded her.

She was born in Blue Sulphur Springs, WV on April 15, 1932 and moved to Akron in 1944 with her family.  She was a woman of many talents and strengths.  As a young wife and mother, she helped the first love of her life, husband, Hank Henry Jones, build 4 houses while taking care of their three children.  She later became a barmaid and then helped run Hank’s Service Station until 1968 when he died unexpectedly.

Rena later met and married her second true love, Jerald I. Gustafson (deceased in 2008) 3 years later.  She then worked at Chrysler as an inspector until they both retired to become Florida sun-birds.  There, she was an active participant with the Red Hat ladies, making costumes, hats and slippers for all the members as well as helping to organize their parades.  Rena was an avid gardener and loved cooking, dancing, playing guitar, taking cruises, and piloting or navigating small planes to New Philly for lunch or New York to see friends and relatives.  One of her favorite things was helping to plan and cook for the annual pig roast with her treasured sisters.  Although she tried the last few years to use the Internet, she wasn’t very successful.  She did, however, carry over her nickname to her user name: Rena theBoss.  Her greatest joy was spending time with her family, which she did at every opportunity.

Rena was preceded in death by her parents, Lyle and Dorothy Myles, her beloved first husband, Hank H. Jones, her beloved second husband, Jerald I. Gustafson, and son Gary W. Jones.  She is survived by daughter Sherry (Angelo) Kazantzis, son Terry (Rose) Jones, daughter Jerri Gustafson, daughter-in-law Linda Jones, grandchildren Brian (Cristina) Jones, Thomas (Jen) Jones, Dyonne Kazantzis and Jackson Krejsa, and great-granddaughter Gianna Jones, sisters Caretta Streby and Dottie (Robert) Wright, sister-in-law, Ramona Gustafson, step-daughters Vicki Morsio, Judy (Doug) Rogers, Candy Bennington and Jean Phillips, many loving cousins, nephews and nieces.  Rena will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by all those who were fortunate enough to know her. 

Funeral Services will be at 11 am Tuesday at Hennessy Funeral Home (corner of York and Main) 552 N. Main St. Akron with Chaplain Doug Olsen, officiating.  Burial will follow at Northlawn Memorial Gardens.  Friends will be received from 5 to 7 pm Monday at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service on Tuesday.

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