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Charlene Drury Obituary
March 13, 1950 - July 23, 2015
Moraga
Charlene passed away peacefully after a long and courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Charlene was the daughter of Clarence Cramer and Louise (Ronconi) Cramer of Oakland. She attended Holy Names High School upon graduation decided to attend Holy Names College where she received an Associates Degree in Nursing. She worked at Children's Hospital in Oakland as a RN for 43 years. Much of the time was in Pediatric Intensive Care (PICU) caring for very seriously ill children. She loved caring for the children. Parents of children she cared for were especially grateful for her kindness and attention. She was a consummate professional nurse and mentor and highly respected by all of her medical colleagues. She loved her work and developed a wonderful friendship with her colleagues. Many of her closest friends where also co-workers at the hospital. She retired in 2014 due to her illness.
Charlene was a kind and loving person and had an infectious laugh that would light up a room full of people. When she was not working, Charlene spent many hours in the garden at her home in Oakland planting and caring for her vegetable and flowerbeds. She also enjoyed knitting as a hobby. One time during her illness she was on leave from the hospital and decided to knit stockings for all of her closest friends as a holiday gift. She also enjoyed watching baseball and rooted for both the A's and Giants. Charlene and her husband moved to Moraga in 2007 where she lived until her passing.
Charlene is survived by her husband, Daniel Gielda, a son Ryan Drury and daughter-in-law Vonn Mai who live in Oakland, and sister-in laws, Barb Almy and Arleen Schrank and brother-in-law Tim Gielda who live in Michigan. She is also is survived by nine cousins, Brian Ronconi, (San Ramon), Yvonne Campbell, (Oregon) Robert Jones (Fair Oaks) Michael Jones, (Kensington) David Ferro, (Hillsborough), Kathleen Munoz, (San Jose), Greg Rimanich, (Campbell), Loretta Fletcher, (Dixon) and Sandra Kerr, (Union City).
A Celebration of Charlene's Life will be held on Saturday August 29th at Hacienda De Las Flores gardens in Moraga from 3 to 6 pm for family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the American Cancer Society on Charlene's behalf.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Charlene Drury
Sponsored by East Bay Times.
4 Entries
Crystal Gariano
August 13, 2015
Charlene you were and will remain an inspiration to so many. The world lost an amazing woman. Thank you for all the kindness you showed our family during Ariel's illness and the laughs you shared as a co-worker. With Love and Sympathy
Crystal and the Gariano-Harding Family
August 10, 2015
Charlene was my first best friend. We met in the 7th grade and were in school together until graduation from high school. We double dated with both our first husbands, she was my maid of honorr and I was her bridesmaid. I arrived in this country in the 7th grade and I don't know how I would have made it through my teen years in a new country without her.
I regret life took us in different directions so we couldn't stay close. I'll miss her Christmas cards. I'll miss my Charly.
Rita Micjenka
August 9, 2015
I remember Charlene as a pretty teenage girl who frequently visited the Drury home, and became like a sister to us. When she married our brother, David, she became a full fledge sister to us all. We always loved Charlene for the wonderful woman she was in her life, her career, and her caring attitude for everyone.
August 9, 2015
I knew Charlene as a teenager who frequently spent time with the Drury family...she dated my brother, David, and they married when he returned from Vietnam. Charlene's laugh was always infectious and she laughed often. I remember when she started her career as a nurse, and she really loved working with sick children, giving them lots of love. Our family will always remember her as a young girl...lots of love.
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