Grand Marshal Selected for Fourth of July Parade

Dave Renninger was shocked to learn he had been chosen to serve as grand marshal of the 53rd Stow Fourth of July Parade. But once the shock dissipated, the well-known retired businessman and active volunteer realized he was honored.

“I’ve always had a lot of respect and admiration for the grand marshals because I’ve lived here 40 years and have seen most of the parades. I never thought I’d find myself in this position,” said Renninger, 70.

Linda Nahrstedt, Stow’s community information coordinator, said the Stow Fourth of July Parade Committee chose Renninger for the honor from a field of 10 nominees.

The parade, sponsored by the city of Stow and the Kiwanis Club of Stow-Munroe Falls, will begin July 4 at 10 a.m. at the Stow-Kent Shopping Center. The procession will travel west down Kent Road to .

Nahrstedt said the committee is anticipating more than 150 entries in the parade that typically lasts nearly two and a half hours and attracts tens of thousands of viewers.

Renninger said he has been among the masses watching what he refers to as “an all-American-type parade” at least 35 of the 40 years he has lived in Stow. One of those years he rode on a float created by the Rotary Club of Stow-Munroe Falls, of which he is a charter member.

On this July 4, though, Renninger will take the seat of honor in a convertible provided by the parade committee.

“I’ve never ridden in the first vehicle in the parade. To be at front of a parade … that’s kind of cool,” he admitted.

After completing a three-year stint in the U.S. Army in 1969, the Akron native returned to his hometown. After landing at job at Allstate in Hudson, Renninger and his then-wife began looking for a home nearby. That’s when Stow became his adopted hometown.

In 1980 he planted even deeper roots in the city by establishing the David R. Renninger Agency, a branch of Nationwide Insurance, which he continued to run until his retirement in 2004.

Retiring hasn’t slowed Renninger down a bit. He is the current president of the , has served as a volunteer bailiff for since 2005 and as a Mobile Meals volunteer since 2008.

Besides retaining his Rotary membership, the 31-year St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church parishioner is also a member of the Stow-Munroe Falls Athletic Boosters.

He was a member of the Stow Schools Foundation from 1998 to 2010 and served on many school levy committees over the years. He served on the city’s Charter Review Commission in 1990 and 2010, and was a long-time member.

Renninger is the father of three: Kristine Lothes of the Dallas, TX, area; Jennifer of Portland, OR, and Scott of Raleigh, NC. He has one grandchild, Sydney Lothes, 11.

For more information on the Stow Fourth of July Parade call the parade hotline at 330-689-2929 or visit the city’s website.