He was born Nov. 2, 1931, in Marshall County, Iowa, the son of William Edward Renner and Ethel Mae Blake Renner.

In 1949, he graduated from Ferguson High School. In past years he has attended the Ferguson Alumni Banquet.

He married Charla M. Renner on Sept. 5, 1959, at Iowa City, Iowa. Charla passed away in 2013.

Surviving are two sons, Scott (Melynda) Renner, Herndon, Va., and Matt Renner, San Diego, Calif.; and Bridget (Lon) Meltesen, who he treated as his own daughter; seven grandchildren: Elinor Cate Renner, Alyssa Marie Renner, Alexander William Renner, Mark Laurence Renner, Mia Alexis Renner, Kirsten Meredith Meltesen and Madeline Elyse Meltesen; three sisters, Joyce Boettcher, Jody Mohr and Jeri Reed and one brother, Dennis Renner.

He served in the U.S. Army and earned an honorable discharge in September 1955. He found a passion for literature and earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa in 1968. Stanley became a professor of English literature at Illinois State University and taught there for more than 30 years.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at Evelyn Chapel on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington. Private family interment will take place at a later date.