Relna Wolfe

1925 - 2018

Wolfe, Relna
1925 - 2018
Relna Kalfs Wolfe, age 93, of Bexley died June 29, 2018, peacefully at home. She was surrounded by her family and by her caregivers, who had become part of her extended family. It was a time of shared gratitude for her life and for the many lives she touched. Relna was preceded in death by her husband, William C. Wolfe, Sr.; her son, James Preston Wolfe (who died in 1955 at the age of 2 from leukemia); her parents, Alfred M Kalfs, Sr. and Mary R. Durham Kalfs; brothers Alfred M. Kalfs, Jr and Jacob T. Kalfs; mother in law Jane Culver King; sister in law Barbara B. Kalfs; son in law Leon A. Harris, and father in law Robert H. Wolfe. She is survived by her son William Culver Wolfe Jr, and his wife Ann, daughter Mary Wolfe Crall and her husband Colby, all of Columbus, and by daughter Jane Wolfe Harris of Dallas; grandchildren Laura Ann Wolfe, Colby William Crall and wife Mary, Alexandra Jane Crall and fiancé Benjamin B. Williams, and Lee Harris, as well as several nieces and nephews. Born May 15, 1925, in Waverly Ohio, she was the youngest of three children of Alfred and Mary Ruth Kalfs. Her father was a "self-made man" who built from scratch a prosperous lumber company, and later served as Waverly's mayor. Although from a small town, Relna traveled a great deal as a child, eventually attending and graduating from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. After college she worked for American Airlines in Chicago and then at The Columbus Dispatch where she met the love of her life, William (also known as "Bill and "Cubby") whom she married in 1949. At his untimely death in 1973, he was Vice President of the Dispatch Printing Company. Relna was always impeccably dressed, and her family would always say when it came to manners, she wrote the book. She was the definition of a lady and taught her children to genuinely care about others. She taught by example, always seeing the best in everyone. In her 30s, Relna took up skeet shooting, and was a natural at the sport. She competed in the United States and Europe against both women and men, even winning top prize in Spain. She had great fun every Tuesday for years with her "needle pointing ladies" or her "sewing group." She enjoyed cooking and delighted in entertaining. For more than a half century she supported the Leukemia Society of America. She was generous with her time serving for many years on women's boards of Children's Hospital, Columbus Art Museum, and Franklin Park Conservatory. She was a founding member of the Little Garden Club of Columbus, a past member of the Junior League, and part of the Franklinton chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Above all, Relna loved spending time with her wonderful family – her beloved husband, her children, her grandchildren, and her dear mother in law, Jane King. A very heartfelt thank you goes to Relna's caregivers, Tammy, Layla, and Deanna.She was a member of St. Alban's Episcopal Church. Private Graveside Service at Green Lawn Cemetery. There will be a Celebration of Relna's life at a later date in the Fall. Contributions in Relna's memory can be made to the Leukemia Society, www.lls.org, St. Alban's Episcopal Church, 333 S Drexel Ave. Bexley OH 43209, or a charity of your choice. Arrangements by SCHOEDINGER MIDTOWN CHAPEL, 229 East State Street Columbus OH. Please visit www.schoedinger.com to share a memory of Relna.