Obituary of Duane “Duey” H. Renner

Duane “Duey” H. Renner, 89, of Indian Harbour Beach, Florida passed away at the William Child’s Hospice Facility on January 5, 2019 after a long illness. He is preceded in death by his parents, Evelyn and Harold Renner, and infant daughter Catherine. He leaves behind his wife Carole, his son Marc Renner (Mary Ann), step children Ann Webb (Robert), John Tweeton (Carla), Suzanne Freiheit (Nick), grandchildren Ann & Claire Renner, Andrew and Ryan Tweeton, Thomas and James Webb, Caroline and Thomas Freiheit, siblings Don Renner (Nancy), Dorothy Heck, Jane Renner, and many friends and loved ones. Duey was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota in 1929 and moved to Madison, South Dakota at age 5. At age 13, he moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and later graduated from Washington High School in 1947. He held his first job at his grandfather’s greenhouse and worked for the local newspaper in the pressroom during high school. At age 17, he worked for KELO radio station in Sioux Falls, where his father was the engineer.  His love of radio began as a DJ with an evening jazz program and then followed his dream of becoming a radio announcer. He was drafted into the Army during the Korean War and given the job duty as company clerk because of his typing skills, as he also distributed beer and cigarettes and delivered mail to the frontlines. After the war he graduated from Sioux Falls College and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.  He became the advertising manager and then the director of information and public relations for the utility company Northern States Power.  Following NSP he worked in real estate and then as an account executive for Chuck Ruhr Advertising Agency. Duey then established his own advertising agency for many years, then retired, and he and his wife pursued a master’s degree in counseling psychology together from the Adler Institute in Chicago. They began a private counseling practice and he also wrote and recorded Mental Health Minute on a radio station in Minneapolis. He then moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where he became the executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association. At age 71, he moved to Indian Harbour Beach, Florida and became active in the bereavement ministry at his church. He loved writing about spiritual topics, jazz music, tennis, golf, playing the piano, and red wine. He published two books; Lord Have Mercy, Thoughts About Practicing God’s Presence and Prayer Without Ceasing and The Ceaseless Prayer Limerick Book. In retirement he continued his love of radio, wrote and recorded 60 second spiritual reflections for Divine Mercy Radio called Things to Talk to God About. A Mass and Christian burial will be held at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic Florida on January 23, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.  Memorials can be sent to Divine Mercy Radio in Melbourne Florida or Society of St. Vincent DePaul at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in Indialantic, Florida.