In Memoriam, Reena GeetAnjali Chesla (1965–2025)

Reena GeetAnjali Chesla, beloved mother, sister, aunt, companion, and friend, died on March 6, 2025, at the age of 59. Reena was born to parents Malati (Kesaree) and Varada “Hary” Charyulu in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1965, and named Geeta Anjali Charyulu. She later changed her first and middle names to Reena GeetAnjali.

Reena grew up in Pocatello, Idaho, graduating from Highland High School in 1983. She moved to Salt Lake City, Utah for college and earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Utah. She retained treasured lifelong friends from these childhood and college years. She lived in Honolulu, Hawaii, for six years, during which time her two children were born. Shortly after the birth of her second child, she moved with her family to Logan, Utah. An energetic and involved young mother, Reena accompanied her family on many skiing and backpacking adventures, making time to enjoy Utah’s wilderness even as she worked as a full-time pharmacist and resumed part-time study of art and education at Utah State University.

She moved to St. Louis in 2004 and it became Reena’s longest-lived home, where she spent the last third of her life, becoming widely known and loved among several communities of friends and colleagues. She was a familiar face within the St. Louis arts scene and a very active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church. As a working pharmacist, Reena traveled around the state, consulting at nursing care facilities where both staff and patients came to adore her. She later returned to school to pursue a dream of changing her career to help children, graduating with a dual master’s degree in social work and public health—in addition to another circle of friends and peers—from Washington University in 2017. She shared many of her most joyous evenings and special moments with her close-knit “Shabbat group” in more recent years.

Reena was known to be a bright and bubbly personality, an exceptional cook, and a kind helper. Late in life, she took up swing-dancing, going out several times a week. She spent countless hours walking with her dog, Prince, through the many neighborhoods and parks of St. Louis. Throughout her life, she maintained an avid love of reading and learning, a passion for dance, and a pursuit of art, especially painting and drawing. Her artistry was a bedrock of her life and her artwork will continue to be treasured by her family and friends.