May 2024 - Spotlight: Rachel Lombardi

This is a new feature of the Sedona Car Club website. We will be giving the spotlight to members of the club. We are looking forward to learning more about our club friends.

Rachel Lombardi

When did you join the car club and why?

David and I moved here in September 1999. Our garage was full of furnishings when we first moved in, so David's Austin Healey and Jaguar Mk I were parked in our driveway. One of our new neighbors was Bob Boydston, one of the founding members of our club. Seeing the cars, Bob knew we were car enthusiasts and invited us to attend a meeting. We joined the club shortly thereafter and have been members since then.

Which car have you owned that has been dearest to your heart? 

My first enthusiast car was a new 1977 Datsun 280 Z. David and the salesman talked me into a manual transmission. I didn't know how to shift! David taught me how to shift, but I was never comfortable driving the car. A few years ago we bought our first Porsche Cayman and referred to it as my car. That was my favorite car. I loved its comfort, speed, and good handling. We subsequently bought another one and I sold the first one to my sister. She has been driving it as her main car and loves it, as I did.

What Is your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobby is painting. I started painting a few years ago. I like to paint religious figures. A friend, seeing one of my paintings, asked me if I would paint one for a friend of hers who was quite ill, and my friend thought the painting would give her comfort. This started what I refer to as my ministry. I have been requested to paint several hundred paintings since then, each one given to a seriously ill person. I have my priest bless each painting. Seeing what I do, he asked me if I would paint pictures of saints to place in the church. I have done quite a few, and it seems he wants me to continue painting additional ones.

What's something about you that not many people know? 

Probably, most people don't know about my ministry paintings or my paintings that are now on permanent display in our church, St.John Vianney Catholic Church.

Rachel Lombardi

Thank you, Rachel, for being our first Spotlight Showcase. Expect more inquiries from me about your paintings. I'm very interested to learn more. - Angela Thomas