John A. "Jack" Rennie

PRESCOTT, Ariz. — John A. "Jack" Rennie, 83, of Prescott, Ariz., formerly of Lake Orion, died Sept. 25, 2008.

He was the beloved husband of Marjorie for 59 years; dear father of John (Linda) Rennie of Lake Orion and Kathy Gaddy of Prescott, Ariz.; grandfather of John David "Jay" (Tonka) Rennie, Coryn (Matt) Szadyr, Rose Rennie, Cecil Ryan Gaddy and Katlin (Daniel) Cackowski; great-grandfather of Harmony, Ian, Kaleigh and Dominic.

Mr. Rennie was extremely proud of his family heritage as pioneers of the Traverse City area, dating back to the days of the Hannah-Lay Lumber Company, as well as the accomplishments of his own family. During his life, his love of boating and crafting things by hand inspired his design and building of an 18' mahogany runabout, which ultimately led to the ownership of an industry leading retail marine dealership in Pontiac for 39 years. He was a proud member of the Michigan Boating Industry Association.

In his later years, Mr. Rennie enjoyed growing roses, collecting classic car scale replicas, and watching NASCAR and dirt-track car racing. He was enthralled by history and how things worked. His ingenuity lives on in his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered lovingly for his stories of the past, his patience and wisdom.

Family will receive friends Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008, with suggested visiting hours of 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, at the Lake Orion Chapel of the Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home. Interment will be in White Chapel Cemetery, Troy.

In remembrance, please plant a rose bush and admire its wonder and beauty. A guest reflection can be made at www.sparksgriffin.com

This obituary was originally published in the Record-Eagle.