Garland 'Kent' Renegar

Garland 'Kent' Renegar

1945 – 2026

ANKENY - Garland "Kent" Renegar, age 81, of Ankeny, died Sept. 24, 2026 in Ankeny.

Graveside services were Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. at the Newell Cemetery in Newell, Iowa. Visitation was on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake was in charge of the arrangements.

Garland Kent Renegar of Ankeny passed away on Sept. 24, 2026, in Ankeny, at the age of 81. He was an attorney who practiced in Ida Grove before embarking on a career as a university instructor in business law at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. He concluded his law career as an administrative law judge for the State of Iowa before retiring.

Kent was born in Statesville, North Carolina on April 8, 1945, and grew up in numerous locations as his family followed his father’s profession as a Navy pilot across Central America and the United States. He graduated from Wahoo (Nebraska) High School before enrolling at Nebraska Wesleyan University where he received his B.A. Seeking a law career, he studied at Vanderbilt University ultimately acquiring a J.D. degree from the University of Nebraska. He opened his practice in general law in Ida Grove, also serving as city attorney for several years. Throughout his career, he showed a distinct devotion to public service working as a city attorney or assistant county attorney in several locations. These career moves enabled his wife, Sandra, to complete her Ph.D. studies at the University of Iowa. A move from Iowa City to Cape Girardeau, MO, provided both Sandra and Kent to teach at the University level.

As Kent experienced his diverse Law responsibilities, he relished the year spent in Hungary teaching at Central European University in Budapest. He assisted his wife in organizing an international conference in Szeged, Hungary, around active learning in college classrooms. Participants across Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet States came to learn college teaching strategies beyond lecturing.

Kent loved the annual Army-Navy football game (Go Navy!) and any bowl game involving the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, or the University of Nebraska. Of course, his one true sporting love was fishing! He would wet his line whenever time permitted. The only thing he may possibly have enjoyed more than fishing was teaching a youngster to fish.

Kent is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sandra Kinney Renegar, of Ankeny, his brother Douglas McBane (Susan) Renegar of Aiken, SC; and three extended family members: Geri McMahon of Madrid, IA; Szasz Eva of Budapest, Hungary; and Yumi Stephens of Tokyo, Japan, as well as sister-in-law, Candace K. Chesney of Des Moines and her children, Adrian, Austin and Olivia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Garland and Jeanne Renegar, and a daughter, Trudy Jeanne Renegar.