Obituary of Rena Roop Searles

Rena M. Roop Searles, 67, died of pancreatic cancer on December 19, 2018 in Olympia, Washington.  She was born March 15, 1951 to Robert L. and Vera A. (Barton) Roop in Walla Walla, Washington, where she lived until 1982.  Over the years, she also lived in SeaTac, WA (82-84), Everett, WA (84-87), Camano Island, WA (87-89), Lynnwood, WA (89-06), and the last 12 years at Olympia’s Johnson Point.  

Rena graduated from Edison Elementary (1963), Pioneer Junior High School (1966), and Walla Walla High School (1969).  She attended Walla Walla Community College.  She married Larry J. Manuel (Nov. 14, 1969), Greg A. Mohrland (June 16, 1972), and Joseph W. Searles on April 1, 1990 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Rena worked at numerous restaurants between 1969 and 1982.  She also worked at Washington State Dept. of Employment Security (1983-1991), and was a mortgage administrator (1991-2008).  She belonged to the International Assoc. of Personnel in Employment Security, and served as local president in 1990.

Rena also was a homemaker who was heavily involved in church and charitable organizations, including autism, St. Thomas Moore Stephen Ministry, AIDS ministry, Eucharistic minister to the sick, Cursillo Movement, Northwest Savoyards, and Washington Blues Society, among others. She was compassionate, had an uplifting attitude and sharp wit.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph W. Searles of Olympia; sons, Jude Searles of Lynnwood, WA, David (Deborah) Manuel of Arlington, WA, Jesse Mohrland of Bothell, WA, and Wesley Mohrland of Snohomish, WA; daughter, Monica (Rodger) Reymore of Lynnwood, WA; 12 grandchildren; one great grandchild; brother, Jim (Carolee) Roop of Walla Walla,WA; sister, Robin (Reed) Smith of Bellevue, WA; and former spouses with whom she remained close, Larry Magnoni of Amesbury, MA, and Greg Mohrland of College Place, WA.

Services will be held Sunday, January 6, 2019, 1:00 p.m., South Sound Manor, 445 North St. SE, Tumwater, WA 98501.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial donations may be made to www.PanCan.org, or Seattle Cancer Care Alliance at www.seattlecca.org/donate-and-volunteer.