Joseph P Renner

Joseph Patrick Renner, 77, of Hudsonville and formerly of Central Lake, passed away peacefully at home on April 21, 2026, from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare form of Parkinsonism. He was lovingly surrounded by his wife of over 55 years and his two children.

Joe was born on December 9, 1948, in Washington, Pennsylvania, to John and Rita (Risbin) Renner. In 1969, he took a leap of faith and moved to Battle Creek to pursue a career in computers; however, he quickly realized this was not his path and instead chose to study speech language pathology at Kellogg Community College. This is where he met his partner for life, Betty Crapo, and they were married on April 3, 1971.

In 1975, Joe and Betty relocated to northern Michigan, where Joe earned his master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Western Michigan University. He went on to work for Char-Em ISD as a speech pathologist for more than 30 years, where he found great joy in working with children. In fact, at nearly any gathering, he could be found spending more time with the kids than the adults, as his imagination and humor were often best appreciated by them.

Joe enjoyed spending time outdoors and often devoted himself to landscaping projects and building various structures in the backyard. He especially loved “renewing” the landscape every few years—so much so that locals would attend Betty’s annual yard sale just to see what was “new” from one year to the next. Later in life, he took pride in acting as Betty’s quality control, shipping department, and parts manufacturing for Betty’s “Buzy Blanket” business.

One of Joe’s many wonderful traits included his being an exceptional planner and, at times, perhaps overly organized, often purchasing gifts for special occasions years in advance. He was an avid reader, frequently found relaxing under a tree in his beloved hammock, and cherished his time at the Central Lake library, where he found both friendship and a sense of peace.

Above all, Joe valued time with his family. He made it a priority to gather around the table during each visit, connecting with loved ones and ensuring everyone knew just how much they were loved by him.

Joe is preceded in death by his father, John Renner, his sister-in-law Sue (Crapo) Poyer, and his brother-in-law, David Johnson.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; his son, Michael Renner; and his daughter, Michele (Chris) Voorheis. He is also survived by his grandson, Zachary (Caitlin) Renner; step-grandson, Corbin Voorheis; and great-granddaughter, Gwendolyn Renner.

Additional survivors include his mother, Rita Renner, age 102; his brother, John (Vicki) Renner; and his sister, Rita (Dave) Johnson, as well as Gerald (Nancy) Crapo, John (Sue) Crapo, and David (Gwyn) Crapo along with many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and a great-nephew.

No services are planned; however, a “Celebration of Life” will be held on May 30, 2026, from 1:00–4:00 PM at The Pelican in Central Lake.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests tribute donations be made to CurePSP at CurePSP | Make a Gift - CurePSP.

Arrangements are in the care of the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes. Please sign his online guestbook at www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com.