Thomas R. Rench

RACINE - Thomas R. Rench, son of Harry D. and Marion (Catterall) Rench, was born February 11, 1930, in Racine, Wisconsin. He attended the Racine Public Schools through grade 8, after which he attended St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin. He entered Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1948 to study aeronautical engineering, but was drafted out for the Korean War at the beginning of his second year at MIT. In 1956, he completed a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree at Miami University, Coral Gables, Florida, and 1960, he completed a Master of Science in Mechanics degree at Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. During the summers while he was at school, Tom worked as a machinist at the Racine Industrial Plant. After his active duty in the Army, he worked briefly as a layout draftsman at Minneapolis-Moline in Louisville, Kentucky, then as designer at Oliver Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio, before going to Miami University. Following his graduation from MU, he taught there for a year. He returned to Racine, where he worked for the Racine Industrial Plant, 1959-1965, and 1972-1977, and as an engineering manager at the J. I. Case Company, 1965-1972. Tom was also involved in town government. From 1965 to 1969, he served as Caledonia municipal justice, and from 1969 to 1973, was on the Caledonia Town Board. Tom was "intensely interested" in airplanes from a very young age. In third grade, he had his first airplane ride, in an E2 Taylor Cub. He learned to fly at Waukesha Airport, and got his pilot's license in 1947. He rented planes and went flying while at St. John's, and later when he was MIT. He remembered flying in and out of Milwaukee Airport when it had just a grass runway, and in and out of O'Hare when it was just a local airport — Orchard Place. He owned several antique airplanes, but the best was his 1935 Beechcraft "Staggerwing" biplane. He spent nine years — 1977-1979, full time — restoring the plane from "basket case" condition, and flew it for twenty six years. Tom kept his pilot's license for over sixty years. He started clarinet lessons in 5th grade. In 7th grade, he switched to saxophone with Bill Giese, a first chair oboist in Chicago Symphony. He played sax through 10th grade at St. John’s, playing in dance bands for various events. Tom's intense interest in airplanes was matched only by his intense love of pipe organs. Tom's love for pipe organs also began in his early childhood, sparked originally by the beautiful historic instrument at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Racine. There were many pipe organs in Racine in those years, both in churches and in the several theaters. Tom and his like-minded friend, Fred Hermes, knew all about them, and half a century later would recall many of them in great detail. (Tom would later help install the large theater organ in Fred Hermes' home.) When Tom went off to school at MIT in Boston, he made sure to visit some of the churches where there were fine organs. Through the years Tom did occasional work for pipe organ builders. In 1982, he established his own organ building firm. While much of his work was in Wisconsin, he also built instruments as far away as Louisiana and Massachusetts. In 1984, he married Marilyn Stulken, who had studied organ at Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Together, they shared many happy times, and she often played programs on instruments he had built or restored. T. R. Rench Company pipe organs were both beautiful of sound, and meticulously designed and built. He sometimes remarked that he was making less money than he would at a corporate job, but he was having the time of his life. He retired in 2005. Tom was consistent and orderly. He was a good man, forthright and of great integrity. Tom loved his wife and children dearly. He loved beauty and nature. He loved "kiddie art." He loved classical music and he loved the hymns of the church. He loved airplanes and farm machinery. He loved St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Racine—his boyhood church, to which he returned in later years when his wife, Marilyn, served there as organist. Tom was, and will remain in spirit, at the center of a beautiful extended family. While in the Army, stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, Tom met his future wife, Barbara Ryans. They were married 1953 in Louisville, Kentucky. Barbara died in 1969 of injuries sustained in an automobile accident while the family was vacationing in South Dakota. Tom was left as a single parent of three young sons. Kari, who would later join the Rench family, was born to Cathy in 1970, and adopted by Bobbie and John Harpham. Following John's untimely death of a brain tumor, Bobbie and Kari moved to Racine, where they met Tom. Tom married Bobbie and adopted Kari. Tom and Bobbie later divorced. On December 27, 1984, in Omaha, Nebraska, Tom married Marilyn Stulken, who feels honored to be called mother. Tom is survived by Marilyn, his wife of thirty years; his children, Alan and Mary Rench of Byers, Colorado; Evan Rench of Louisville, Kentucky; Eric and Bobbie Rench of Kenosha; and Kari Eschmann of Racine; seven grandchildren, Michael Rench, Amy Rench, Anthony Rench, John Rench, Linsey Rench, Robbie Eschmann, and Riley Eschmann; five great-grandchildren, Peter Rench, Jacob Rench, Madelyn Rench, Piper Rench, and Dylan Rench; and by his former wife, Bobbie Williams. Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 5, 2015, 2:00 P.M. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 614 Main Street, with Father Robert Lambert and Father James Kaestner officiating. Relatives and friends may meet with the family Friday at the funeral home from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. Memorials to St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy have been suggested. There will never, ever be another Tom Rench. He was truly one of a kind. He will be missed beyond all imagination. MARESH-MEREDITH AND ACKLAM FUNERAL HOME 803 MAIN ST. RACINE, WI 53403 (262) 634-7888 Please send condolences to www.meredithfuneralhome.com