Obituary of Reuben Serna

Reuben Serna of Lodi, California, who always did things his way, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2020. He was 76 years old. He is preceded in death by his father, Jose Serna Sr., mother, Gerania "Hedy" Serna, and brother, beloved former Mayor of Sacramento, Joe Serna Jr. Reuben is survived by his children, Maya Serna, Shoshana Serna, and Che Serna, and their mother, Gail Serna as well as by his siblings Maria Elena Serna and Jesse Serna, and several nieces and nephews. Reuben lived a full life that he dedicated to helping others. In the mid 60's, he spent two years in West Cameroon, Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer, and then went on to spend over 15 years working with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. Until his retirement, Reuben worked tirelessly as a union representative for various unions across the United States, and his children have fond memories of making buttons and picket signs during summer vacations. He was a passionate photographer, and one of his largest projects was ‘Gold Mines in the Fields’, which highlighted the struggles of modern labor camp workers in Northern California. He will be deeply missed.