Richard E. Rentz

Richard E. Rentz, age 67, passed peacefully on May 29, 2017 at his home in Asheville, NC after a long battle with complications related to the side effects of leukemia. 
Rick was born on September 21, 1949 in St. Augustine, Florida to Charles and Mildred Louise (Sigman) Rentz. 

The younger of two, Rick was an avid swimmer, competing in statewide meets in high school.  Rick graduated from St. Augustine High School in 1967, and went on to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the US Army upon graduation in 1971 with a degree in engineering.  He continued his education at Georgia Tech, where he would earn his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. 

Hardworking, driven & determined, Rick had a long and successful career.  After serving in the Army for 8 years, Rick began his career in Northern Virginia working for the U.S. Department of Defense.  He moved to Charleston, SC in 1989, where he worked at SCRA in business development.  In 2010, Rick started his own business development company, North 17 Consulting, which he continued after his move to Asheville, NC in 2016.  Rick was also a devoted family man.  When he wasn’t throwing the ball for his dogs or eating crab legs with his family, his favorite pastimes were golfing, swimming, horseback riding, music, and carpentry. He particularly excelled at eating chocolate and hanging Christmas lights!

Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Louise, his brother Charles, and his favorite dog Levi.  He will be forever remembered by his loving wife of 30 years, Sharon Soulsby Rentz of Asheville, NC, his children Ashley Rentz Hibbard (Dan) of Sterling, VA, Jaryd Rentz of Charleston, SC, and Miranda Rentz of Asheville, NC. Grandsons Kyle and Dylan Hibbard of Sterling, VA, beloved dogs Charlie and Jaxson, caring mother-in-law Donna Soulsby of New Philadelphia, OH, and dear cousins Bobbi Shapiro and Toni McDuffie of Tallahassee, FL.

A celebration of Rick’s life will be held by his family in Charleston, SC at a later date.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society www.lls.org, or Petfinder Foundation www.petfinderfoundation.com.

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