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William "Bill" Renner and Denise ¿Toots¿ Renner pose for this undated photo. (Submitted photo / November 10, 2012) |
Laura remembers that for many years at Christmastime, the Renners would load up their car to the brim and take Christmas to a family with six children in Boonsboro.
Bill also was dedicated to the Ali Ghan Shriners, which is how he met Stanley, whom he called “Pal.” They had taken local children to the burn unit at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia, either driving the Shriners van or their own vehicles, Stanley said.
When a local teacher’s son got burned, Bill made sure the boy received the medical care he needed in a Shriners hospital burn unit, at no cost to the family, Joan said.
“He enjoyed the different organizations he belonged to,” Stanley said, highlighting Bill’s service as past potentate of Ali Ghan Shriners and as director of the Royal Order of Jesters.
When Laura and Tom Bowers and their two children, Joan and John, moved into the house across the street from the Renners in the early 1970s, it was the start of a friendship that became much more.
They became Bill’s “adopted family,” and the feeling was mutual.
“I knew my grandmothers, but I never had the opportunity to have a grandfather,” Joan said. “What a great grandfather he was.”
Bill wrote his own obituary. Laura took care of the funeral arrangements and delivered Bill’s written obituary to the funeral home, unaware that she and her family had been listed as Bill’s surviving family.
“From the time I moved in here, he was special to me. The way he treated me,” Laura said. “Pap was like a father to me. This has been very hard on me.”
Laura’s own father died in 1944 and her mother passed away 23 years ago.
“We were his adopted family,” Joan said. “That was his choice.”
For more than a decade, Bill cared for Toots through breast cancer, a stroke and bone cancer. He insisted on caring for her at home, with Laura’s help.
“Mom took care of Mr. and Mrs. Renner like a daughter would,” Joan said.
When Toots died 12 years ago, Bill was devastated.
“When she passed away, his world ended,” Joan said.
Laura said she took him to the emergency room because he became unresponsive. He was hospitalized for three days and the doctor said there was nothing physically wrong with him, that his catatonic state was caused by a broken heart and that he needed to get re-engaged with life.
That was the beginning of Bill joining the Bowers family for dinner every night. Laura’s husband, Tom, would take Bill out for breakfast and a drive most mornings.
When Tom was in a serious car accident, Laura said Bill was worried sick and visited Tom daily, often bringing food for the family with him.
For the past year and a half, Laura had cared for Bill as age caught up with him. He did have in-home care providers, but preferred Laura’s cooking. She cooked three meals a day for him and kept him company while he ate.
“Mom was his chauffeur, his cook, his house cleaner,” Joan said.
Bill eventually went into an assisted-living facility and finally a nursing home.
Described by Laura as a “snazzy dresser,” Bill was known for his manners and his kind ways.
“He was very easy to get along with,” Laura said. “He was a gentleman.”
Joan said Bill could have built a life far from Hagerstown, but thinks he stayed here to help others.
“I think he saw a great need here,” Joan said.
Editor’s note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail runs “A Life Remembered.” Each story in this continuing series takes a look back — through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others — at a member of the community who died recently. Today’s “A Life Remembered” is about William O. Renner, who died Nov. 3 at the age of 96. His obituary was published in the Nov. 5 and 6 editions of The Herald-Mail.
Bill also was dedicated to the Ali Ghan Shriners, which is how he met Stanley, whom he called “Pal.” They had taken local children to the burn unit at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Philadelphia, either driving the Shriners van or their own vehicles, Stanley said.
When a local teacher’s son got burned, Bill made sure the boy received the medical care he needed in a Shriners hospital burn unit, at no cost to the family, Joan said.
“He enjoyed the different organizations he belonged to,” Stanley said, highlighting Bill’s service as past potentate of Ali Ghan Shriners and as director of the Royal Order of Jesters.
When Laura and Tom Bowers and their two children, Joan and John, moved into the house across the street from the Renners in the early 1970s, it was the start of a friendship that became much more.
They became Bill’s “adopted family,” and the feeling was mutual.
“I knew my grandmothers, but I never had the opportunity to have a grandfather,” Joan said. “What a great grandfather he was.”
Bill wrote his own obituary. Laura took care of the funeral arrangements and delivered Bill’s written obituary to the funeral home, unaware that she and her family had been listed as Bill’s surviving family.
“From the time I moved in here, he was special to me. The way he treated me,” Laura said. “Pap was like a father to me. This has been very hard on me.”
Laura’s own father died in 1944 and her mother passed away 23 years ago.
“We were his adopted family,” Joan said. “That was his choice.”
For more than a decade, Bill cared for Toots through breast cancer, a stroke and bone cancer. He insisted on caring for her at home, with Laura’s help.
“Mom took care of Mr. and Mrs. Renner like a daughter would,” Joan said.
When Toots died 12 years ago, Bill was devastated.
“When she passed away, his world ended,” Joan said.
Laura said she took him to the emergency room because he became unresponsive. He was hospitalized for three days and the doctor said there was nothing physically wrong with him, that his catatonic state was caused by a broken heart and that he needed to get re-engaged with life.
That was the beginning of Bill joining the Bowers family for dinner every night. Laura’s husband, Tom, would take Bill out for breakfast and a drive most mornings.
When Tom was in a serious car accident, Laura said Bill was worried sick and visited Tom daily, often bringing food for the family with him.
For the past year and a half, Laura had cared for Bill as age caught up with him. He did have in-home care providers, but preferred Laura’s cooking. She cooked three meals a day for him and kept him company while he ate.
“Mom was his chauffeur, his cook, his house cleaner,” Joan said.
Bill eventually went into an assisted-living facility and finally a nursing home.
Described by Laura as a “snazzy dresser,” Bill was known for his manners and his kind ways.
“He was very easy to get along with,” Laura said. “He was a gentleman.”
Joan said Bill could have built a life far from Hagerstown, but thinks he stayed here to help others.
“I think he saw a great need here,” Joan said.
Editor’s note: Each Sunday, The Herald-Mail runs “A Life Remembered.” Each story in this continuing series takes a look back — through the eyes of family, friends, co-workers and others — at a member of the community who died recently. Today’s “A Life Remembered” is about William O. Renner, who died Nov. 3 at the age of 96. His obituary was published in the Nov. 5 and 6 editions of The Herald-Mail.