Edith Antonia (Wagner) Rentz (Ph.D., ’75)
We were so very sorry to learn of the passing of Edith Antonia (Wagner) Rentz (Ph.D., ’75). She was a tireless champion of the teaching of both German and English language and literature, and a dear personal friend. The following is excerpted from the obituary in Funeral Alternatives, Brunswick, Maine.
After an extended struggle with pancreatic cancer Edith Antonia Wagner Rentz passed away on June 6th of this year.
Edith received her Bachelor’s Degree from Valparaiso University, her Master’s Degree from Middlebury College which included a year’s study at the University of Mainz in Germany, and finally her Ph.D. from Indiana University, completed in 1975. She taught German at Martin Luther High School in NYC, at Valparaiso University, at Indiana University, at Hiram College in Ohio, and finally at Bowdoin College.
Having qualified to teach English while at Valparaiso, Edith was later hired to teach it at Freeport High School where she spent nearly a quarter century. In that time she was beloved by generations of students and by her fellow faculty members. After retiring from teaching, she found time for volunteer work with the food pantry and the library’s used book store. She was also an avid quilter and adventurous traveler.
The College of Arts