Cascinda “Rhonda” Kleese

1961 – 2026

On the night of September 22, 2026, Rhonda Kleese’s gale-force presence grew still, softening to a whisper where so much life had been. She passed away unexpectedly at her home in Naples, Florida.

Rhonda was born May 29, 1961, in Youngstown, Ohio and was the daughter of the late Albert Hamad and Barbara Ann Dickerson Hamad. She had four siblings whom she took care of from a very young age while her parents worked at their grocery store.

Always a step ahead academically as a child, Rhonda graduated a year early from The Rayen High School in Youngstown, Ohio, at the top of her class in 1979. She was accepted into The Ohio State University at 17 and eventually earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Capital University. She later completed her Master of Business Administration at the University of Phoenix. She often said she could be a lifelong student, and her natural curiosity about the world endured long after the degrees were earned.

Being a nurse was woven into Rhonda’s DNA. She believed deeply in caring for people and treating patients with dignity, compassion and respect. She regularly surpassed expectations and took initiative beyond her core duties. Her nursing career spanned thirty years, from 1996 to 2026, with a pause along the way to help care for her grandchildren. Even then, the nurse in her never clocked out: there were boo-boos to mend, little ones to comfort, and daughters who turned to her wealth of medical knowledge when anyone was sick.

From world-renowned healthcare institutions such as Stanford Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic to ultimately securing nursing leadership roles at hospitals in Naples, Florida, Rhonda brought her vibrant energy, skill, and generous heart to the bedside while predominantly working in the Intensive Care Unit. She took humorous delight in saying she could still “run circles around the twenty-something nurses” even in her 60s’. Beneath her playfulness though, was well-earned pride in work that asked so much of her (and to which she gave so much of herself). Rhonda was a phenomenal nurse, and her care reached far beyond the end of a shift.

Rhonda was also a vibrant renaissance soul with a wide array of passions. She was an avid reader, enjoyed crocheting, decorating, painting, upcycling furniture, gardening and quilting. Rhonda hand-stitched custom-crafted quilts for so many of the people she loved. With each passing needle, the rhythmic art of quilting mended her spirit with so much peace. When seeking a tranquil escape, she enjoyed collecting seashells on the beach or sunbathing by the pool to the music of Shania Twain or Jimmy Buffett.

Family was at the heart of Rhonda’s life. She was a traveling mom and grandma, affectionately known as “Bubba”, whose love stretched far and wide to her three daughters in Ohio, Illinois, and Utah, and her seven grandchildren. She filled her daughters’ childhoods with adventure: white-water rafting in West Virginia, horseback riding in Yosemite National Park, escaping the cold Ohio winters on a cruise to the Bahamas, and single-handedly making their little-girl dreams come true with a memorable trip to Disney World. She often stretched every dollar she had, but she always found a way to give her girls memories to carry for a lifetime.

Of all the titles Rhonda held, Bubba was the one she treasured most. With her grandchildren came tea parties and make-believe restaurants, leaps into the foam pit at the trampoline park, and on-field action playing goalie in a soccer game. Add in the best Bubba hugs and kisses, and she set the bar high for the title of world’s best Bubba.

She is survived by her three daughters, Kristine (Adam) von Philp of Warren, ; Holly (Nathaniel) Wolack of Chicago, and Abbey Kleese of Salt Lake City; seven grandchildren, Zoe Orr , Jack Burrows, Bobbi Burrows, Willem Beltane, Nicholas Wolack, Jacob Wolack, and Tommy von Philp; four siblings Aneese (Mindy) Hamad, Fifi Lynn Larney, Rebecca Lila Gugliotti, Micheal (Missy) Hamad, and eleven nieces and nephews. She is proceeded in death by her parents.

Funeral services will be held at noon on Friday, October 2, 2026, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Warren, Ohio with Father Stafford and Deacon Edward Kleese officiating. Family and friends may call 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Peter Rossi & Sons Memorial Chapel located at 1884 North Rd. NE, Warren, Ohio. Burial will follow the funeral services at Crown Hill Burial Park in Vienna, Ohio.

Rhonda’s spark lit up a room, and there was never a dull moment when she was in it. Mom, we will look for your spark in the night sky, finding the Big Dipper just as you taught us when we were your little girls. We will forever remember you there, in the wonder you helped us see.