Guy Anthony Renzaglia

With sadness we lost Guy Anthony Renzaglia on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2010, at 4:35 a.m. in his home at Mahomet, Illinois. He was with his life companion, Betty, when he fell, gracefully, peacefully next to her.

Guy’s passing leaves a void in the lives of many. He was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, teacher and colleague without parallel, and a champion for those in need. His legacy reaches across the region and into the far reaches of the country.

Guy was born in Virginia, Minnesota, as Guido Renzaglia in 1918 to Renaldo and Filomena, who were recent immigrants from Italy. He grew up in the deep North Country’s Iron Range, where his father was a miner, fireman and ultimately owned a corner, Italian store.

While speaking only Italian at home, Guido learned English from his older brother, sister and classmates in elementary school.

He was the fourth child of seven, two of whom died shortly after birth, and was the only sibling to attend college and leave the area.

He was a high school athlete and at the age of 17, he was recruited on a football scholarship to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he played for four years, and was later inducted into the GWU Hall of Fame.

After graduating with a BA in Physical Education, he returned home to earn a Master’s degree in Physical Education at the University of Minnesota.

During the early days of World War II, he worked for the military as a physical trainer before enlisting and attending Officer Candidate School in the Army Air Corps.

Though he thought of himself as a “jock,” he surprised others by finishing first in his OCS class and being commissioned as an officer, serving five years during the war.

He never spoke of the brutality of war, it was not his nature, but regaled his kids with his stories of serving in North Africa, particularly Casablanca, and then finally through Italy during the waning days of war.

Like many of the Greatest Generation, he returned home and enrolled in school on the GI Bill. While completing his PhD in Counseling Psychology, he met his wife, Josephine Elizabeth (Betty) Guidinger, on a blind date in late 1947 and they married shortly after.

In 1948, Guy and Betty began a journey that included raising seven children, creating a university department, and developing a wine industry that has betrothed the Southern Illinois region.

After completing a second master’s in psychology he moved from St. Paul to the University of Montana in Missoula, where their first son was born. A year later, Betty gave birth to a daughter while visiting her mother in Etonia, Saskatchewan, Canada.

He returned to Minnesota as a doctoral student and a second son graced the world. His first professional appointment was at the University of Minnesota at Duluth. He then joined the faculty at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where a second daughter was born.

In 1955, Southern Illinois University’s President, Delyte Morris, offered Guy a position in the Psychology Department with the hope of expanding services to people with disabilities.

Guy moved his wife and four young children to Carbondale where he remained for over 50 years, adding three more children and creating a legacy in both Rehabilitation and the Illinois wine industry.

Guy’s vision of providing support to underserved persons came to fruition at SIUC. He separated from Psychology, developed the Rehabilitation Institute, and helped equip the campus for the disabled, making SIUC one of the few universities in the country to provide services for the blind, deaf and persons using wheelchairs. He was a great innovator for persons with disabilities long before the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Through his strength and charisma, the Rehabilitation Institute grew into one of the largest counselor training programs in the Midwest, providing trained therapists for rehabilitation and mental health services across the country. During his directorship, Rehabilitation became a nationally acclaimed program that trained over 1,000 professionals who dedicated their careers to helping others.

Guy retired at age 60, concluding 23 years of service to SIUC, to pursue a lifelong dream. While working as a retired annuitant and running the Touch of Nature Environmental Center, he partnered with Ted Wichmann and Skip Cosgrove in 1980 to start a vineyard and winery, later known as Alto Vineyards.

After years of tilling the field, planting seedlings, digging post holes, and stringing wire, the vineyard produced its first grape crop in 1984. A small winery was built in 1988, the first in Southern Illinois, opening its doors on a cold February day, only to sell out its inventory two days later.

After his partners left the business, Guy turned to his son Paul to become the wine maker, while Guy maintained the vineyard and acted as the chief executive officer, a partnership that prospered. Under his leadership, the Illinois Grape Growers’ Association was established, where he served as its first president, and the Illinois Wine Council and Shawnee Hills Wine Trail were formed.

Guy had a vision, personal fortitude and knowhow that are rarely encountered. He was a trailblazer and leader who thrived by fighting for others and believing in the importance of a dream. He not only led but brought people along, building on their strengths. He had a heart of gold and generously gave of his time, knowledge, and compassion. Guy knew no strangers; everyone was equal in his eyes and worthy of his time, insight and concern. He saw beauty and worth in every human he encountered.

Even in his last few months, he charmed those in Bridle Brook Assisted Living, making them feel his humor, his warm presence and his loving positive regard for all.

Guy was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Dominic and Frindo, and sisters Irena and Zaida.

He leaves his wife of 63 years, Betty; his children, Gary (Sandy Hughes and daughter Julia), Adelle (Jim Dubnicek and daughters Lindsay and Lauren and son Ryan), Paul (Katrina and daughters Elissa, Rhiana, Kara and Anna), Karen (Wayne Womac and sons Miguel and Andres), Mark (Sandy Dengate and sons Sam and Paul), Danny (Debbie and daughters Elizabeth and Catherine and son Joey), and Mary Jo (Jim Weir and sons Alec and Jack and daughter Carlee); and one great-grandchild, Rylan.

Our hearts are heavy with his loss but we rejoice in the time he shared in our lives. His heart will never leave the fertile and beautiful rolling hills of Southern Illinois, and the wonderful people of this area and the SIU community. His spirit remains a living part of us all. We love and will forever miss him.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010, at the Crain Pleasant Grove-Murdale Funeral Home, Old Route 13W between Carbondale and Murphysboro.

A funeral Mass will occur at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Carbondale at 11:00, Friday, Nov. 12, with Father Robert Flanery officiating, followed by a reception at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Guy Renzaglia Scholarship fund; Rehabilitation Institute, Rehn Hall 317, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. 62901.

To leave online condolences visit <a href="http://www.crainsonline.com">www.crainsonline.com</a>.