Ronald Dean Renner

Ronald Dean Renner was born on April 9, 1960, in Shattuck, Oklahoma, and raised by his adoptive parents, Rudolph G. Renner and Alma Koch Renner. Like many rural boys, he was driving heavy farm equipment long before he had a driver’s license. He earned money working on farms and ranches, cutting hay, and hand-loading bales in the dry oven heat of Oklahoma. As a member of 4-H, he raised, showed, and sold hogs and cattle. At age 14, he bought his first motorcycle with his own hard-earned money.

In his small-town high school, “everyone did everything.” Ron played basketball, football, and ran track, but especially loved pitching in baseball. He also played trumpet in both the marching and stage bands and worked evenings doing janitorial work at the local hospital. By graduation, he had already developed a strong sense of responsibility and a tireless work ethic.

His senior year, 1977, brought profound loss with the deaths of his good friend, Chet, and his mother, Alma, due to complications from diabetes—events that deeply impacted him. Without the grades or funds for college, Ron enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Ironically, a baseball scholarship offer arrived shortly after his decision—too late to change his course. The Air Force would take him many places and provide an education that laid the foundation for his lifelong career.

Ron began his service as an airframe repair specialist for nearly four years. While stationed at Travis Air Force Base in California, he met his first wife, Bobbi, who was also serving there. Their first son, Scott Douglas, was born in 1981. Ron later served in civil engineering with the Prime BEEF (Base Engineer Emergency Force) and the Red Horse Association (Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineer). His second son, Jason Dean, was born in 1983 at Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

He was also stationed at Grissom Air Force Base near Kokomo, Indiana, and served at Osan and Kunsan Air Bases in South Korea. While in Korea, Ron received a commendation from the Korean government for his heroic efforts fighting a massive fire at a large fuel storage facility, where lives were lost.

In 1988, Staff Sergeant Renner was honorably discharged in the first wave of the “reverse draft” during military downsizing. With just one month to decide where to plant roots for his young family, he chose to settle near Nashville, Tennessee, believing it “showed potential for growth that would require construction experience.” He chose well!

Ron’s first civilian job was with A&F Electric, where his familiarity with government contracts proved invaluable on projects at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After a divorce in 1991, Ron became a devoted single father. In 1993, he married Karen McKinney, who jumped in the family “with both feet.”

After several successful years with A&F Electric, Ron went on to work for Johnson Building Group and Price-Davis Construction, Inc., based in Charlotte, North Carolina. When Price-Davis closed its Nashville office, Ron worked diligently to complete the requirements for his own general contractor’s license. In 2001, he founded Tandem Construction, LLC, building and managing countless projects throughout the Nashville area and beyond. Ron loved a good challenge—he enjoyed learning something new with each project and took pride in assembling the perfect team of subcontractors to bring every vision to life.

Ron was a man of strong faith, which guided how he conducted his business, invested his time, and lived his life. His faith carried him through difficult times and gave him deep joy in the Lord, regardless of circumstances.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Rudolph “Rudy” Renner and Alma Koch Renner. He is survived by his loving wife, Karen; sons Scott (Heidi) and grandsons Rowen Dean “Rodi” and Roderick Kyle “Rocky”; and Jason (Mariah) and grandchildren Sofia, Margot, Sean, Stella, and Imogen. He is also survived by his brother Tarrell Taber, half-sister Carey Sauer Richie, and half-brother Tommy Sauer Jr.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at The Pavilion at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens. A brief service will begin at 11:00 a.m., followed by light refreshments and visitation with family and friends until 3:00 p.m.