Renee A. Strauss died peacefully after a long battle with cancer on Dec. 21, 2020, at home with her husband by her side.

Her last days were spent lying near a bow window in the living room, looking out on the little valley she loved.

She is survived by David, the love of her life and husband of 56 years.

They were in school together since second grade and married in the fall of her junior year in college.

They completely restored a 200-year-old farmhouse, saving it from near ruin when they were very young and could do the hard work.

They enjoyed many outdoor activities over the years, including camping, snowmobiling, water and snow skiing, car showing, ATVing and, most recently, bicycling where they met and enjoyed the company of new friends from many different states.

Also surviving is a son, Steven, with whom they started and grew a family business from 1982 until the present.

Steve was a big help whenever there was work to be done. Always with his parents as he grew up, when they worked, he worked.

When they played, he played. Steve, and wife, Tina, live on the same property, just up the street.

Steve’s sons, Christopher, and twins, Justin and Jared, were a big part of her life.

Sisters Sandra Glass of Allentown and Dawn Zygmontas of Waynesboro remained lifelong friends and companions enjoying many outings together sometimes for “girls” only and other times accompanied by their husbands, Ronald and Rodney, (now deceased), respectively.

Nieces Kim Watson and Tracey Glass, as well as nephews, Matt and Chad Loomis, also reside in the area. Another nephew, Kevin Zygmontas, lives in Maryland.

She was the youngest daughter of Harry (Hap) and Margaret (Chickie) Walters and grew up in the Fullerton section of Whitehall.

Remaining very close to her parents, she and her husband visited them often as he was growing up and helped however they could as her parents aged and eventually died.

She was most proud of her lifetime roles as a daughter, wife, mother and grandmother.

She graduated from Kutztown with a degree in teaching as a traditional student, and taught in both the Whitehall and Parkland school districts before starting her family.

Returning to college after 25 years, she graduated from Cedar Crest College, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1991.

She was on the dean’s list, inducted into Psi Chi, the honor society for psychology, and received all A’s in her class work.

Later, she returned to Kutztown to earn her Master’s degree in psychology in 1998.

The family started a business when their son was 12. Over the years, she had many duties, starting as a truck driver and delivery person in the early days.

She would drive to the factory, load the truck with cabinets and then along with Steve, deliver them to customers’ homes when he was finished with school for the day.

If there were appliances for the job, they would wait until her husband was finished working with customers so all three of them could manage to carry large appliances into the homes, as many were bi-levels that required lifting them up flights of stairs.

Always wanting to learn and having an interest in creative nonfiction, she returned to college courses again both at Cedar Crest and Lehigh Carbon Community College when she was old enough to be a traditional student’s grandmother.

A “tomboy” as a child, she continued to enjoy many outdoor activities with her family and the hours spent there, being physically active, over the years, were evident in her rugged appearance.

She will be remembered for her love of home and family and for her open, honest, straightforward manner.

Her feelings always showed clearly on her face and she was known to say about herself, “What you see is what you get.”

She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

In addition to her loving husband, David L. Strauss, she is survived by a son, Steven D. Strauss (Tina) of Coplay; sisters Sandra Glass (Ronald) of Allentown, Dawn Zygmontas of Waynesboro; grandsons Christopher Strauss (Jessica), and Jared and Justin Strauss; great-granddaughter Aspen; and nieces Kim, Tracy, Jody; nephews, Kevin, Mark, Matt, Chad.

A graveside service will be held 11 a.m. on Dec. 26 at Union Church Cemetery, Neffs.

Expressions of sympathy may be made at heintzelmancares.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to PanCan, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and/or to Shriners Hospitals for Children all c/o the funeral home, P.O. Box 196, Schnecksville, PA 18078-0196.

Arrangements were made by Heintzelman Funeral Home Inc., Schnecksville.