Peter H. Renkert ’60

A native of Hartford, Conn., Pete “Renk” came to Princeton via Governor Dummer Academy. At Princeton he became active in the Outing Club, the Yacht Club, and Keyceptors. He majored in English. Upon graduation Pete served in the Army National Guard for eight years, retiring as a second lieutenant in 1968. 

Meanwhile, he began his career in advertising. A lifelong outdoorsman, Pete was fortunate to join a smaller agency with strong representation in hunting, fishing, and skiing fields and developed close relations with his sporting clients. In 1977 he left advertising to join one of them as head of its fishing tackle division. Divorced, he became a very contented bachelor dad in 1981. He married Joanne, a keen sailor and sportswoman, in 1987 and in 1988 purchased the sporting-products elements of his parent company. 

He and a partner formed the Tackle Factory. He loved working with and hunting and fishing with his customers, which included all the major sports retailers. In 1999 he sold his interest in the company to his partner, moved to northern Idaho, and undertook an idyllic life of hunting and fishing. 

Pete died May 21, 2021, of a heart attack. He is survived by Joanne, his two children, and four grandchildren. As his son Tyler observed, “He went fishing.”