Carla Rajnus, a resident of Oakhurst from 2015-2020, died in St. Helens, Oregon, on Feb. 1 of cancer.
Carla was born on April 18, 1949, in Arcadia, Calif., and, after completing high school in Midland, Texas, she gained a degree in art at Otis College in Los Angeles, then a Master’s in counseling at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena. She practiced as a licensed therapist in Portland, Oregon.
Carla adopted her son, Charlie, as a two-year-old.
In 2015, Carla moved to Oakhurst to be closer to her sister, Sara Drost.
During her time in Oakhurst, she was the proprietor of a bed and breakfast in the mountain community. She participated several times in the annual Sierra Art Trails open studio tour and in showings at the Yosemite Gateway Art Center in Oakhurst.
Carla specialized in photography and collage pieces which reflected her interest in social justice issues. Her political collage pieces were exhibited at a special showing in 2019 entitled, “Public and Private,” with her friend and artist, Deboray Say Lawrence, at the art center.
Always a devoted caretaker of her dog and cat family, Carla also volunteered one day a week at the Eastern Madera County SPCA Thrift Store in Oakhurst, a source of funding for the EMC SPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center in Oakhurst.
When her grandson, Ryan, was born in St. Helens in 2018, Carla decided to move back to be closer to her son and grandson.
She leaves behind many close family and friends including her sisters, Sara Drost of Reseda, Calif, Lynda Siminske of Reno, Nev. and Marcia Goldberg of Montreal, Canada; as well as son, Charlie Rajnus, and grandson, Ryan, of St. Helens. Numerous nieces and nephews are also experiencing her loss.
The family is planning a Zoom “Celebration of Life” ceremony on her birthday, April 18, at a restaurant near her St. Helens home. To attend either the Zoom or the live ceremony, contact her sister Sara at sara.drost@gmail.com or phone (818) 281-5281.
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