Obituary for
John H. Renault
John H. Renault passed away on October 14th, 2016 at University Heights Health and Living. Born in Arras in Northern France in 1926, the son of Marius and Marguerite Renault. John was evacuated in the Southwest of France with his family in June 1940 during the invasion of France by the German Army.
He continued his secondary school training in Villeneuve-sur-Lot till 1943, and then had to join the French Resistance to escape forced work for the Germans either in ammunitions plants or building the Atlantic wall. Most of his classmates were then tortured and killed by the Gestapo or disappeared in the concentration camps.
After the war, John continued his studies in Bordeaux and Paris and became a science instructor in a rural training center in Northern France. John was recruited, by competitive exam in 1951 to spend a school year in the USA as a guest of the Marshall Plan for further training.
During his stay in the USA, John made many friends who helped him to obtain a green card and a visa in order to come back permanently to the USA in 1953.
In waiting for the visa, John created, in Southeastern France, a rural training center as headmaster where he was teaching sciences and mathematics until May 1953.
In the USA, John went to Ohio State University and Franklin University and became an electronic engineer while working as a cameraman for OSU and doing television repairs. He also became an electronic instructor at Franklin University.
John became an American citizen in 1958. Following this accomplishment, John was able to work on prestigious military projects, automatic pilots, the Apollo capsule telemetry, AWACS feasibility research, and radar. In Indianapolis he worked for Texscan, Wavetek, RCA and Electra.
To keep busy in retirement, John taught French at IUPUI and at the Berlitz School of foreign language. He also taught miscellaneous classes at Perry Meridian High School as a full time substitute teacher.
John is survived by his wife of 58 years, June, three daughters, Diana (James) Pope, Lisa Wickenkamp, Debra (Steve) Hayes, and six grandchildren, Joshua, Jacob, Matthew, Emily, Natalie and Shannon.
Funeral services 12:00 p.m. October 18, 2016 at Forest Lawn Funeral Home – 1977 South State Road 135, Greenwood, where friends may call after 10:00 a.m. Entombment at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens, Greenwood.
Contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or to the Donor’s favorite charity.
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The Cross of Lorraine was used as a symbol of French patriotism during World War II. Capitaine de corvette Thierry d'Argenlieu suggested the Cross of Lorraine as the symbol of the Free French Forces led by Charles de Gaulle as an answer to the Nazi swastika.
