Obituary of Thomas Joseph Render

- CHAPEL HILL - Thomas Joseph Render of Windsor Point Retirement Community passed away on November 7th, 2014 as a result of a brief illness, at the age of 96 years. Joe, as he was generally known, was born on July 15th, 1918, in Antwerp, NY, the son of Clark and Viola Render.In 1941, he graduated from Clarkson University, in Potsdam, N.Y., with a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Reserve. Upon graduation he joined the engineering test program of the General Electric Company. Two months after Pearl Harbor and the United States entry into World War II, Joe was called to active duty and transferred to the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He served as Post Signal Officer at locations in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands reaching he grade of Major. Following duties in Alaska, Joe continued to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve for several more years after the War. On December, 21st, 1943, Joe married Jane Anne Stewart of Mohawk, N.Y. After the War, he returned to work with the General Electric Co. at plants in Schenectady, N.Y., Roanoke, V.A., and Mebane, N.C. In August 1983, Joe retired from the General Electric Co. after 42 years of service, which he served as design engineer, engineering manager, and consulting engineer for the manufacturing of industrial control equipment. Joe is survived by his wife, Jane Anne Stewart Render, daughters, Leslie Anne Ingram and Deborah Jo Warren, son, Thomas Clark Render, seven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. There will be a brief memorial service at Walker Funeral Home in Chapel Hill, N.C. on November 11th, 2014 at 2 P.M. in the afternoon. There will be no visitation. Interment will be at a later date at Markham Memorial Gardens, Durham N.C. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association or to Duke Chapel, Durham, N.C.