David George Renaker

1940 - 2023

David George Renaker
February 27, 1940 - December 17, 2022
David George Renaker died December 17, 2022, in San Francisco. He was born February 27, 1940, in Monrovia, Calif., to John Renaker and Maxine Hagen Renaker, and graduated from Monrovia High School. He then spent a year at Reed College and a year studying with the painter George Grosz at the Art Students League of New York before settling at Pomona College. In the fall of 1961, he was one of four members of Pomona's College Bowl team, which enjoyed a five-week winning streak on the television quiz show, filmed live in New York. In an article on the 50th anniversary of the victories, the Pomona magazine wrote, "Still, decades later, Renaker wishes the quiz whizzes could have played on beyond the five-match limit. 'We were unbeatable,' he says."
After graduating from Pomona in 1963, Dave married fellow Pomona graduate Joyce Burley. They moved to Cambridge, Mass., where Dave received his Ph.D. in English from Harvard in 1967. His dissertation was "Robert Burton on Human Knowledge." Returning to California, Dave took up a position on the English faculty at what was then San Francisco State College. He taught at SF State for 42 years. Dave also continued to paint, focusing on portraits of family members, Inner Richmond cityscapes, and landscapes of the Marin headlands. For some years, he was a committed long-distance runner, completing several marathons. Dave and Joyce divorced in 1993, and he retired from San Francisco State in 2009, continuing to live in San Francisco until his death.
Dave was predeceased by his parents, elder brother, twin sister, and ex-wife. He leaves his son Stephen, daughter Teresa, three granddaughters, and other family and friends. Donations in his memory may be made to Greenpeace or your favorite charity.