The final bell has rung for former Surrey principal, trustee and provincial politician Reni Masi, who has died at age 87 following a long life serving his community.
Renaldo (Reni) Angelo Masi died on Oct. 14 at Surrey Memorial Hospital, his official obituary states, under the “outstanding care” of his health care workers.
In 1956 Masi first ventured into his education career as the basketball coach at Queen Elizabeth secondary, leading multiple teams to provincial tournament.
He would serve 15 years as a teacher, and another 20 as a principal, before entering provincial politics in 1996, defeating Delta North NDP MLA Norm Lortie that year and holding the riding for the Liberals until 2005, when the NDP’s Guy Gentner won it back.
Masi then served as a Surrey school trustee for three terms (nine years, some of that as the board’s chairman) before retiring from politics at age 80, declaring that “eighteen years in public life is enough.”
He is survived by his wife Susan, sons Tony (Amber), Stewart (Shayle), Gordon (Amanda) and three grandchildren Sophia, Matteo and Dominic Masi.
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