Rendon J. Sabina, 68, of Sheepscot Village, died at his home after a brief battle with cancer and a final, peaceful summer full of visits from friends and family. 

Rendon (Renny, Ren) was born on October 9, 1957, in Glen Cove, NY, on Long Island, the fifth of six children born to Moses and Irene Sabina. His parents had previously been missionaries in Japan, and his father was a pastor of several churches during Rendon’s childhood, eventually moving the family to Michigan to lead a church there. As a teenager in Grosse Ile, MI, Rendon and his brother and friends got up to all kinds of antics, one of which involved riding ice chunks on the Detroit River. 

After high school, Rendon joined the Army for several years, where he learned to cook. By 1978 he had landed in Portland, Maine, where his brother and sister-in-law were living, and was soon working in restaurant kitchens. For a time he even had a cooking show on the local public access TV station, demonstrating how to cook well on a budget. While working as a chef at the Cumberland Club, he met Cynthia Cammarota, who was working there as a waitress as she finished her teaching degree. In 1984, they married and the next year moved up the coast to Lincoln County. They purchased a small renovated horse barn at the end of a dead end road in Sheepscot Village, and lived there together for over 40 years, fixing up the house with various additions and renovations over time. Rendon was a fastidious carpenter and handyman and did much of the work on the house himself or with the help of friends. 

He and Cynthia raised their two kids in Sheepscot, and together took the kids hiking and camping, fishing, boating, and on various family road trips. Rendon crafted toys for the kids– a rocking horse, dollhouse, furniture and play cabin. He cooked weekend breakfasts and special meals, bringing a chef’s approach to the kitchen and passing on his cooking tips and love of food. 

The majority of Rendon’s career involved food and the restaurant industry. He cooked in many kitchens, from high end restaurants to the local hospital and high school. For many years he was a salesman for a meat company, working with restaurants in Portland and Southern Maine. He loved keeping a finger on the pulse of the food scene. In the last couple decades he switched to more handyman work, pitching in on all manner of house projects, and working a few seasons at a local boat yard. When Cynthia started to get serious about sailing, he supported her passion by fixing up and maintaining the boats they had over the years.

Since childhood, Rendon was an infamous jokester, taking every opportunity to make a funny face for a photo, or do something goofy to lighten the mood or get a laugh. He was a natural entertainer, loved to tell a story or a joke, and loved meeting and connecting with all kinds of people. He was an active friend, and kept in touch with people from all facets and eras of his life, making regular rounds of phone calls to catch up with family and friends. He had an artistic streak, making beautiful watercolor paintings for family birthday cards, and had a wonderful singing voice. 

Rendon is predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Cynthia who died in November 2025, his parents, Moses and Irene, and his sister, Sana. He will be missed by his children, Renny and Ellen, his brother Tannon, sisters Inell, Naran, and Dena, six sisters and brothers in-law, beloved nephews and nieces, and many friends. 

A small private gathering of family and friends will be held soon to celebrate Rendon’s life and legacy.

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family at www.directcremationofmaine.com