Rena Staigers

Rena (Perlman) Staigers, 93, of Lee, New Hampshire, died on June 30, 2019 in Carlsbad, California. Rena was born November 23, 1925 in Pittsburgh, PA to Benjamin and Helen Perlman, the youngest of the four "Perlman sisters." Rena's father died when she was seven, and her family moved to Queens, NY when she was thirteen. She met her future husband, Jim Staigers, at a roller skating rink in Sunnyside when she was thirteen, he fifteen. They married in 1945 when Jim was home on leave from the US Army, and lived in Japan, Germany, Okinawa, and numerous places in the U.S. during Jim's 28 years as a career Army officer. As a military wife, Rena was often a single parent to their three daughters, Mary Anne, Jackie and Joni. When Jim retired, they settled in Durham, and a few years later, they bought a cottage on Wheelwright Pond in Lee, which they moved into for a summer and never left.

A sometimes reluctant sidekick to Jim's adventures, family legend has it that Rena told him during one arduous Mount Washington hike, "If you wanted to backpack, you should have married a goddamned mule." That said, she was an intrepid athlete in her own right, swimming daily in her beloved Wheelwright Pond, completing the New York marathon in 1987 just shy of her 62nd birthday, and riding a road bike well into her eighties. Rena wore Birkenstock, ate a diet of natural foods, weight trained, and meditated before they were fashionable. She loved hot chocolate, restaurants with views, and was an expert at cleaning and organizing. Four days before she passed away, she happily washed dishes, which is entirely true to Rena's character. She was also stylish, and put together gorgeous outfits that were perfectly accessorized for every occasion. Rena was fiercely devoted to the people she loved, and throughout her life, she was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great-grandmother, an aunt, and a friend. Rena's family looked to her time and time again as a role model for her healthy lifestyle, and for her unwavering love and support. Her friends remember Rena as a great listener, and appreciated her kindness and her sense of humor.


Jim suffered a stroke in 1995, and Rena cared for him in their home for the next 9 years. They had been married for 59 years when Jim passed away in 2004. After his death, Rena joined the Newcomers' Club, and also enjoyed playing Bridge with friends. An avid reader, Rena frequented the Lee Library, and loved sitting with a book or a Red Sox game on TV as she enjoyed her view and her home. With support from her family, who was committed to honoring Rena's wishes to stay in her home as long as possible, and her caregiver, Bernadette Paradis, Rena lived at home until April. She moved to Sunrise Senior Living in Carlsbad, CA, where she received outstanding care from the staff there during the final few months of her life. Rena died peacefully, surrounded by family, on June 30.

Rena was predeceased by her husband, James M. Staigers, and her three sisters, ReVera Goldman, Feola Scharf, and Lois Beadle. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law Mary Anne and Paul Trause of Encinitas, CA; her daughter Jackie Staigers and her family; her daughter and son-in-law Joni and Dana Haley of New Boston; her grandchildren Amanda and Jeremy Manger and great grandchildren Jake and Sydney of Encinitas, CA; her grandchildren Megan and Scott Vos and great granddaughters Julia and Margaret of Boulder, CO; her grandson Tommy Trause of Seattle, WA; and her grandchildren Garrett and Devan Smith and great granddaughter Avery of San Marcos, CA. Rena is also survived by several nieces and nephews and their families.

Services will be held at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery (110 Daniel Webster Hwy, Boscawen) on Thursday, July 18 at 11am, and will be followed by a reception at The Common Man (25 Water St, Concord). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lee Library, the Lee Food Pantry (administered through the Lee Congregational Church), or the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery. Phaneuf Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Manchester is in charge of arrangements. To view an online Tribute, send condolences to the family, or for more information, visit www.phaneuf.net