Carl Edward Renken, Sr., 79, of Charleston, South Carolina, husband of Helen Thomas Renken passed away on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, at Roper Hospital. His Funeral Service will be held Monday, June 29, 2015 in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, 405 King Street at 12:00 p.m. Burial services will be private. Immediately following the funeral service, there will be a reception at The Citadel Holliday Alumni Center. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR INC., DOWNTOWN CHAPEL, 232 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC.
Carl was born September 12, 1935 in Charleston, South Carolina. He was the son of the late Walter A. and Azile H. Renken. Carl was a graduate of Charleston High in 1954 where he was selected to the high school all-American football team and invited to play in the Shrine Bowl and North-South football games. He attended The Citadel on a Football Scholarship and then graduated in 1958. He then graduated from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1961. He was later inducted into the Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame as an honorary member in 2004. Two years later in 2006, Carl was awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from the Citadel.
Carl married his high school sweetheart Helen June Thomas on May 31, 1958 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, and they were happily married for fifty-seven years. Carl and Helen had two sons, Carl Edward Renken Jr., and Frederick Hackemann Renken. Carl was the president of Renken Boat Company until he retired in 1995. Carl was also always active within the community. He is the past president of the West Ashley Jaycees and Optimist Club of Charleston. He is a senior member of the Hibernian Society and a former member of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army. The Renken family are members of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church where Carl was an extremely active participant. He served as the president of the congregation council for many years where he worked on various project such as: rebuilding the church after the fire of 1965 and instrumental in the establishment of the St. Matthews Outreach Center. He was also the president of the Citadel Brigadier Club, Charleston Citadel Club, and Citadel Alumni Association.
He is survived by his wife, Helen June Thomas Renken, his two sons Carl Edward Renken Jr (Mary Lee) and Frederick Hackemann Renken, his sister Ann Renken Hoshall (Frank), as well as four granddaughters, Frances, Helen, Tanner, and Harlan Renken. He is preceded in death by his mother and father as well as three brothers (Walter Jr., Kenneth, Ralph).
In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Capital Campaign Fund, 405 King Street, Charleston, SC 29403 and/or The Citadel Alumni Association, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409.
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