Guistina Victoria Rorabaugh

Guistina (Tina) Victoria Rorabaugh of Hopland left this life peacefully with husband Alec and daughter Casey by her side on January 14, 2024 at the age of 84. Tina was born on October 26, 1939, to Nicholas and Frances (Calisi) Gabello, in Binghamton, NY. The middle of three children, she was preceded in death by her parents and her younger brother Nicholas. She is survived by her husband Alec, daughter Cassandra Rorabaugh Ford and husband Dwayne, grandchildren Jaden, Mackenzie, and Dawson Ford, her brother Anthony and sister-in-law Elizabeth (Liz) Gabello of San Antonio, TX, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Working in accounting for various local companies in Binghamton, including Link Aviation, (who made the famous Link Trainers during the second world war) Tina helped support her mother and younger brother after her father was killed in an accident when she was sixteen. Her mother died after an extended illness in 1967, when Tina was twenty-seven.

While managing a large apartment complex, she met and married Alec Rorabaugh in 1971. Two years later, the couple left New York to move to the Cariboo District of British Columbia where they spent seven years operating the Rorabaugh family fishing resort, and where daughter Casey was born in 1978 (at -20°F). Contemplating raising a baby in what could best be described as the “bush” country of B.C., the couple moved back to the US in 1980 and settled in Ukiah, close to the family ranch near Hopland.

In 1980 they opened what they believe was the first computer store in Mendocino County, “Computer Scene,” where Tina managed the office accounting duties and earned an AA in accounting from Mendocino Community College.

She was a member of the Ukiah Soroptimist Club, president 2006-07, and spent many hours assisting in the Soroptimist Invitational Dolphins Swim Meet; selling See’s candy for the club in front of Raley’s; and was instrumental in starting the club’s project to raise money to purchase a fire-training trailer, used to teach fire safety to county schoolchildren.

Tina retired with husband Alec when they sold their computer business in 2003 and moved to the family ranch near Hopland where she enjoyed Jeep rides, Jeopardy, scrabble, receiving acupuncture from her rescue cat Ringo, and enjoying her grandkids.

The family extends a special thank you to Brenda Derickson, RN ret., who spent the last nights of Tina’s life seeing to her comfort.

No services are planned