"RHEA MIRIAM POSJENA, 60, died on August 21, 2004, of cancer at Redlands Community Hospital. She was born on February 17, 1944, in Akron, Ohio, and had lived in Redlands for the past 22 years. She had always wanted to be a nurse, and this goal was realized when she received her Diploma in Nursing from Akron City Hospital School of Nursing in 1965. She first worked at the 300-bed Akron Children's Hospital. After she was married, she traveled with her husband to various assignments in the military and worked at a variety of hospitals and home health agencies in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, California and as a charge nurse in ICU/CCU in Hawaii. Rhea obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree Magna Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina in 1977. After arriving in Redlands, she obtained her Public Health Certificate and worked as a Public Health Nurse in home health for several agencies. She worked at Redlands Community Hospital in ICU/CCU, telemetry, Hospice as Patient Care Coordinator and then Director prior to transferring to the Transitional Care Unit as Manager. Her last job was as a Supervising Public Health Nurse for the County of San Bernardino Maternal Health Section in the Early Steps program. Mrs. Pojena was an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, serving in the Parish Health Ministry and the Power House of Prayer, as well as participating in a Small Faith Community. She was also a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, assisting in various house-building projects in San Bernardino and Redlands. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, and especially reading to her grandchildren. Mrs. Posjena is survived and loved by her husband of 37 years, Guenter; a daughter, Laura Vasquez of Huntington Beach; a son, Mark Posjena of Riverside; and 6 grandchildren, Rudy, Matthew, Amaru, and Paul Vasquez; and Erin and Alyssa Posjena; and a sister, Leonette Rowe of Palm Desert, CA...."
("San Bernardino Sun," 8/24/2004)