Edward (Eddy) J Renna

Edward (Eddy) J Renna lost his short battle with cancer and died May 4 in Chandler, Ariz., at the age of 81.

Edward was born in the Bronx, N.Y., to Edward and Frances (Hyde) Renna. on Nov. 10, 1930, the youngest of five children.

Edward Renna

He received a Catholic education. As a boy he met Babe Ruth and made money racking balls at a pool hall. In his younger days, he was quite a pool shark. In 1948 he joined the U.S. Air Force. He met Betty Lou Rishoff, and they were married in 1950. After being discharged, he resumed his same

position as a civilian with the U.S. Air Force Security Service. He transferred to the Department of Defense Army Security Agency and then went on to work for the National Security Agency. He was an independent intelligence research analyst and spent considerable time outside the United States in the late '50s and '60s on TDY, representing the NSA in the Pacific area. At the time of his resignation in 1962, he had attained a rating of GS-12 with four years ingrade.

In the late '60s Eddy moved to Shelby, Mont., to be with his family and worked as a laborer in construction, roads, highways, missile sites, bridges, tunnels and dams.

In the early '70s he moved to Havre, and in 1974 hired out with Burlington Northern Railroad in the track department. He later became a brakeman and then worked 6 years as a conductor on Amtrak. Ed was a friend of Bill W's for over 38 years.

In 1982, Ed married Phyllis (Matteson) Mcguire and they later divorced.

Ed retired in 1994 and in the late 90's moved to Arizona where he enjoyed many years of retirement. He played golf in the morning and laid by the pool in the afternoon. He made three holes in one at the Springfield golf course. He was well loved in the Springfield community and will be greatly missed.

He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Renna; mother, Frances Renna; brothers, Frank, Andy, Bob; sister, Millie; and ex-wife Pyhllis Mcguire.

Survivors include sons, Mick (Ruth) Renna of Bigfork, and Ed Renna of Boise, Idaho; daughters, Debbie (Jack) Sparks of Albany Ore., Kim Hickman of Tinton Falls N.J., and Donna Benner of Kalispell Mont.; longtime companion, Juanita Wright of Lacey Wash.; mother of the children, Betty Fjeld of Kalispell Mont., and daughter-in-law of many years, Tari (Hickman) Renna of Havre; grandchildren, Sheila Benner of Kalispell, Geniese Dechalus of Tinton Falls N.J., Brian Hickman of Raleigh N.C., Anthony Sparks of Portland Ore., Corrine Haning of Portland, Ore., Keesha Renna of Boise, Idaho, Kelsey Renna of Havre, and five great- grandchildren.