Kenneth Lawrence Renaud

Lt. Col. Kenneth Lawrence Renaud, U.S. Army (Ret.)

Died September 22, 2026

Retired Army Lt. Col. Kenneth Renaud, age 86, of Alden, MI, passed away peacefully in his home with family at his side. It was special that he reached his 63rd wedding anniversary with his wife, Celia (Brigham) Renaud the day before he passed. He had been counting down the days to his anniversary for the entire year. He is survived by his daughter, Susan Renaud, his grandchildren, David Buck and Jennifer Buck Schultz, and three great-grandchildren, Emily and Kenny Buck, and Alden Schultz, and many other family and friends who loved him.

Ken was born on December 13, 1939, in Ecorse, Michigan, the youngest of four children born to Elinor (Ruger) Wolvin and Felix Renaud. LTC Renaud was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Raymond Renaud, Elizabeth Atkinson, and William Renaud, and his daughter, Deborah Renaud-Buck.

Playing football at Melvindale HS led to playing football for Alma College where he earned a BA degree in chemistry and became co-captain of his college football team. After college, he played for the Quantico Marines. While at college, he joined the Platoon Leaders Class (PLC) program that allowed him to train during the summers and earn a US Marine Corps Officer commission upon graduation. He served 5 years in the USMC and 17 years in the US Army retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel. One of his favorite memories was serving in the 82nd Airborne Division where he qualified as a “Master Blaster” and “jumped out of airplanes over 65 times”!

Upon his retirement, his career spanned the period August 1965 through July 1982 culminating a career of more than twenty years as a professional soldier. LTC Renaud served with distinction in all assignments which included brigade and division chemical officer and battalion executive officer. He served overseas in Alaska and Vietnam and capped his distinguished career on the Army General Staff as a Staff Officer.

After retiring from the military, Ken’s second career included serving as director of Youth Employment & Training Programs (YETP) and later as director of Michigan Works! servicing a 10-county area in Northwestern Michigan. In his spare time, he became an apple farmer and planted and cared for 4000 semi-dwarf Red Delicious and McIntosh apple trees.

He will be remembered for his kindness and generosity, his sense of humor, his love for his family, and above all his gratitude to God for the many blessings in his life. To his children and grandchildren, he was Superman. Throughout the years, his home was a gathering place for family and friends. In his later years, he cherished sitting behind his desk, looking out at his barn and seeing all of the deer, turkeys and wildlife out in the field and feeling blessed.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, October 3, at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City, Michigan at 3:00 p.m. following visitation from 2:00 - 3:00. Military Honors will be conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Army, Cherryland V.F.W. Post 2780 and American Legion Post 35.

The family asks that any donations be made in Ken’s memory to The American Cancer Society or The Army Emergency Relief.

“ALL THE WAY, SIR!”