Zola J. RENDELL

Zola Jeanette Rendell (nee Harris), age 57 of Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away on Sunday, May 25, 2014. Zola was born to Margaret Rhodes Harris and the late Clarence “Gig” Harris on June 3, 1956, in Cincinnati, Ohio. She was the devoted wife of Dean Rendell for 39 years; loving mother to Jennifer Dye and Floyd Dye; and dear sister to Sharon Knorr (nee Harris), Vivian Harris, and the late Robert Harris, and the late David Harris. The fourth of five children, Zola was a vibrant and happy child – traits that stayed with her throughout her life. Known for her infectious laugh and lively personality, there were many things that made her a beautiful person on the inside and out, and many things that Zola enjoyed in life.

Zola grew up in the suburb of Loveland, Ohio, graduating from Loveland High School in 1974. Always busy, Zola was always a hard worker, but found her niche in health insurance and benefits administration. She worked for Prudential and then followed her passion for helping others at Family Dental Care, Luxottica Retail, and finally at Kendle/INC Research. Zola was a determined woman who had a thirst for knowledge and it showed in how hard she worked both in her career and personal life. She worked hard to learn about the workings of lighting, sound, and audiovisual in order to work in her church’s media department. She also worked to learn sign language and instruments like the piano and bass guitar. In her career and personal life, Zola’s determination, work ethic and quest to better herself always came through.

Zola was full of life. Whether this translated into her active lifestyle and hobbies like gardening, baking, and sewing or through her positive attitude and laugh, Zola always had a playfulness and lightheartedness about her. But she was more than just the life of the party, she was also compassionate with a warm spirit and open heart. Kind and giving, she had many friends and was always willing to offer support, encouragement, or a helping hand. Whether offering prayers or big hugs, Zola’s compassion offered comfort to many in her life. A woman of faith, Zola was very active in her church community at Destiny Church. To Zola, church was more than just a place; the people were part of her family and were a large part of her strong faith and unconditional love.

Zola’s laughter, friendship, and warm presence will be missed by many. We are sure that Zola would have liked to thank those who cared for her in her final days as she always worried more about others than herself. The family would also like to thank all of those who cared for Zola and offered support to the family during the last few years.

Zola would not have wished for us to mourn her loss but celebrate her life, so to honor her desire, the family would like to invite those who knew and loved her to come to a celebration of her life on June 14, 2014 at 6pm at the House of Praise, located at 980 Old State Route 122, Lebanon, Ohio.