Vana Marie (Renfro) Beckenhauer passed away peacefully on June 5, 2010 after a two-year, hard-fought battle with breast cancer. She was born in Vallejo on July 31, 1956, attended Highland Elementary School, Vallejo Junior High, graduated from Vallejo Senior High as valedictorian of the class of 1974, graduated from Solano Junior College and the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics. As a baby, Vana was baptized in the First Presbyterian Church and served there into her adult life, especially in the Christian Education Department. She loved children and they responded to her love and caring ways with their love. She chose teaching as her vocation, teaching and tutoring at all levels from elementary school through business college in the area, continuing to make a positive impact on young lives. When she decided to change careers, she went to work for Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, transferring several years ago to Vallejo to take part in the strategic projects program. During Vana's growing up years, she enjoyed all levels of the Camp Fire Girls from Bluebirds to Horizon Club and was an active member of each group. She loved nature and animals from an early age, enjoying camping with her maternal grandparents, and bird watching, especially the Christmas bird count. She never turned away a bird, cat or dog that found its way to her doorstep. She also enjoyed working with crafts and was talented in all kinds of handiwork, such as knitting, crocheting, needlepoint and sewing, especially making Halloween costumes for her daughters. Vana loved to travel and took her widowed grandfather, whom she was very close to, on several trips. Starting as a toddler and throughout her life, she made numerous family trips to South Dakota and Nebraska to visit relatives, as well as many other places of interest. When her daughters were old enough, she saw to it that they took part in various groups, supporting them in each as their interests changed, from gymnastics, soccer, softball and dancing. Vana is survived by her daughters, Rachel and Amanda; her parents, Marilyn and Jerry Hinton, and Jack and Pat Renfro; sisters, Kathy Foley and Carol Renfro-Demmon; nieces, Nicole Demmon, Danielle Demmon; nephew, Justin Foley; stepsisters, Janet Johnson, JoEllen Reynolds, Jennifer Hinton, Kathy Campas and Carolyn Gregory; stepbrothers, Wayne Hinton, Hayden Hinton and Rob Perry, and their children; former husband Tom Beckenhauer, and Kelli Moore, who was like a daughter. She is also survived by a large extended family. She was preceded in death by her grandparents Leone and Gil Van Olst and Rose and Jack Renfro.

Times-Herald (Vallejo, CA) - Wednesday, June 9, 2010