Rena Sheffer, retired medical librarian, age 76, died of sepsis at University of Arkansas Medical Services on May 3, 2025.
Rena was born in Batavia, NY, grew up in Stafford, and graduated from LeRoy High School in 1967. That fall she became a student at the University of Buffalo. She considered a major in nursing, but ended up with a B.A. in History and Social Sciences including courses in Russian and Russian History. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Library Science was in1984. In between those two degrees she worked as a technician in the angiography department at Buffalo General Hospital.
Rena’s first library job was at Union Memorial Library in Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Subsequently she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, and worked at University of Arkansas Library for Medical Sciences, where she was granted tenure in 1995. In her work she provided relevant publications and information to physicians and scientists, which were important both for research and for patients’ health, well before the advent of AI.
As befitting a librarian, Rena had diverse interests. She had a strong interest in Ecology and she was present at the Earth Day exhibit in Buffalo, NY on April 22, 1970. She practiced yoga and meditation, did needlepoint and crocheting with yarn, bead work for jewelry, photography, scuba diving, indoor gardening, and, as a lifelong fan of the Buffalo Bills, loved watching NFL games. She was interested in all the arts, but especially in architecture and stained glass, and collected Depression Glassware. After retirement she took courses from Life Quest, including Great Books, and World Music.
She is preceded in death by: her parents, Olan & Helen (Hosmer) Sheffer; her brother, Newell Sheffer; her sister Nancy Sheffer Bennett; brother-in-law, Jeff Bennett; sister-in-law Louise (Roy) Sheffer; nephews Ken Sheffer and David Sheffer; and niece Ellen Sheffer Barnes.
She is survived by: her brother Eugene Sheffer of Central Square, NY; her sister, Nola Sheffer of Acton, MA; sister-in-law Margaret Sheffer of Anacortes, WA; nieces Virginia Sheffer (NY), Lorri Sheffer (WA), Deborah Wisniewski (NJ), Daphne Rudolph (NC), Donna Kullman (CA); nephews Douglas Bennett (SC), Dennis Bennett (NC), Dwight Bennett (WA); and numerous grand nieces and grand nephews.
In addition to family, Rena is survived by her former husband (1986-2006), Paul Hermonat of Texas, who, like Rena, was a UAMS Professor. They continued to remain close friends.
Rena’s ashes will be buried in the family plot in Stafford, NY.
Family, friends, and colleagues are encouraged to post remembrances at the the website for A Natural State Funeral Service, https://
7 Comments
I am so saddened to hear of Rena’s passing. I worked with Rena from 1996 to her retirement from the UAMS Library and she was a tremendous mentor in science, biomedical resources and education. She was a tremendous librarian and it was an honor for me to learn from her and to count her as a friend. I will miss her.
Rena was a great asset to all UAMS students. She taught the PhD students in the Nursing program how to conduct thorough literature searches. She was always available to assist them individually. Her friendly manner and her vast knowledge enabled many to seek her assistance. She was a kind and knowledgeable lady who helped make the world a better place place
I knew Rena through LifeQuest classes, particularly the Great Books discussion classes and our Lunch Bunch lunches together. I greatly enjoyed her sharp wit and infectious sense of humor. Her thoughtful and well informed comments and her inquiring mind added depth to our Great Books discussions. I feel fortunate to have spent time with Rena and am saddened by her passing.
Rena was a dear, sweet classmate; she was highly intelligent and lots of fun. I’m so sorry to hear of her passing.
I’m so sorry to hear of Rena’s illness and passing! I work at LifeQuest and knew her to be a very sweet lady with a twinkle in her eye when she smiled. I will miss seeing her in Tom’s piano class and online.
Rena was a dedicated librarian and a good friend. I will mess her.
I graduated U-Buffalo Info & Library Science with Rena. We drove to Washington DC together to start our new careers. It was an exciting time and I’ll never forget our good conversation on the drive down and getting lost on the beltway. Some weeks later we met up at her place and she showed me how to cut a mango along with discussing aspirations and the job hunt. What a lovely person. After all these years her business card fell out of one of my books. So regret I didn’t find it sooner.
Comments are closed.