Evelyn Neva Renaker

EVELYN NEVA RENAKER
CORTLAND - Evelyn Neva Renaker, 78, of Cortland, passed away October 14, 2007 at the Cortland Regional Nursing Facility. She was born July 25, 1929 in Cincinnati, OH, the daughter of the late Walter Clarence and Janet Kissinger Patrick.
Neva raised her family in Clifton Park, NY, from 1962 until 1979, before traveling the Intracoastal Waterway by sailboat for two years, then settling in the Ithaca/Dryden area in 1987 and moving to Cortland in 2000. She volunteered at Cortland Memorial Hospital from 1995-97. She quickly made friends in the community and was active in the Cortland Art League for several years. She had a creative mind and a keen eye, doing pen and ink, watercolor and oil paintings. She mixed her love of her children, grandchildren and the outdoors, especially the Outer Banks of NC, with her artistic work. It was her way of life to paint. She viewed all of life through an artist's eyes. She was also an illustrator of two books on the history of the Erie Canal for the Clifton Park Historical Society. She had a gift of bringing out the best of any kind of living thing, especially plants and her last two cats that needed much love.
Neva is survived by her daughter, Andrea (Mark) Roberts of Dryden; and grandchildren, Timothy (Sherry) Roberts of Annandale, VA, Lucas Roberts of Dryden and Katharine Roberts.
She was predeceased in 1985 by her husband, John Renaker; son, Eric Dean Renaker; and later by her brother, Donald F. Patrick.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Wright-Beard Funeral Home, Inc., 9 Lincoln Ave., Cortland, NY. Calling hours will be 4-6:45 p.m., prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will take place at a later time in Kentucky.
In lieu of flowers, memoriam gifts may be made to Cortland Regional Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility or Caring Community Hospice of Central New York in Neva's name.