Mildred Fail Obituary

Mildred Lorena "Rena" Fail COLUMBIA, SC - Rena Fail, 77, formerly of Charleston, passed away on February 22, 2023. She was born in Charleston, SC. She spent most of her life living and working in Charleston, SC. As a single mom, Rena took innovation to a new level. She was unafraid of learning home repair before YouTube and Pinterest were ideas. She could replace outlets, fix a dryer, or install windows. She was constantly reading and learning new things. She never strayed away from new ideas and revelations. Always exploring new creative joys, she loved to crochet, sew, bead, and paint folk art. She was known for painting Christmas scenes, angels, and manger scenes. She juggled multiple craft projects and was handy with tools, not afraid to use a circular saw or jigsaw when cutting wood for her painting. She loved working as a histotechnologist for MUSC researching new processes for cutting tissue, preparing slides and sharing her findings with colleagues. Charleston was her home where she loved crabapple trees, magnolias, moss hanging from the oaks, and sand in her feet at the beaches. Parkinson's never limited her. She stubbornly lived on her own and on her own terms until her death. She loved to cook, bake and try new recipes. She hated wearing shoes; loved gardening, reading, cats, dogs, and mysteries. Mother of Joan Hoffman (David), Bill Fail (Amy), Mathew Fail (Susan) and Michael Fail (Paige). She adored her 8 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Predeceased by her parents, Clyde "Bo" and Zelma "Mickey" Mathewes, and her grandson, Dillon Fail. Private services will be held with the family. Visit our guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/charleston