Vivian Raineri

I am sad to report that Vivian Raineri, longtime political activist in the San Francisco area, has passed away.

Vivian was born in Roseburg, OR to Henry and Muriel McGuckin. The family moved to Napa, California, where Vivian completed her schooling and began her career as a journalist and author. A longtime member of the Communist Party, she wrote for the Bay Area Bureau of the Peoples' World Newspaper. She was politically astute and active with the Women for Peace in Berkeley, CA, where she lived most of her life. Among her many achievements, Vivian authored the book "The Red Angel", a biography of Elaine Black Yoneda who, along with her husband Karl Yoneda, served time in an internment camp during World War II. Vivian was a founding member of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism.

Her son Ben remembers Vivian as follows:

"She was a wife, a mother, a reporter, an author. She was an office worker and she was Rosie the Riveter. She was a strong supporter, of causes dear to her, and most important to a son--she supported both of hers with all her soul. In that, she was there when her older one got arrested blocking the entrance to the Oakland Induction center, and she was there another day with the younger one who wanted to vent his rage at the injustice of that drafting of this country's youth. She will be remembered with love by all who knew her."

The familiy is planning a memorial service for her on April 2 at a place to be determined in the East Bay. They would like to see all those who knew her turn out to remember her and share those remembrances with all. I will post a message with the details when they are arranged. In the meantime, those wishing to leave memories and condolences may do so at www.allenmortuary.com.

Steve Willett
Berkeley. Ca.