Carl Ray Render Jr.

Carl R. Render, Jr., 64, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2020, at his home in Louisville, KY, after an abrupt and acute struggle with CJD. He was born July 3, 1955 in Louisville, KY and was the son of the late Carl and Geraldine Render. He grew up in Jefferson County and was an avid athlete, singer, outdoorsman and UofL fan.

In 1973, Carl graduated from Moore High School and later joined Dean Milk Company, where he worked for forty-three years, until his retirement in 2019. Carl provided a comfortable and blessed life for his wife, Sharon, and son, Austin.

Carl and Sharon met while working together at Dean’s Milk Company where, in his true penny-pinching fashion, Carl asked Sharon to go on their first date — to the company picnic. From then on, you couldn’t keep them apart and they were wed in 1980. Sharon still cherishes and reminisces these memories very dearly.

Carl and Sharon are in their fortieth year of marriage, and recently welcomed their first grandchild to the family.

Carl’s genuine, honest and loyal qualities afforded him many lifelong friends who care deeply for him and his family. He made an indelible impact on the life of those around him, and his absence leaves an incredible void in the hearts of his family and friends.

Carl was a life-long member of Highview Baptist Church, where he sang bass in the choir. He and Sharon also taught Sunday school to preschool children for very many years.

Throughout his life, Carl possessed a love and respect for the outdoors, especially fishing and camping, which greatly influenced his son’s life. They share innumerable outdoor memories together, including a fly fishing float trip on the Snake River through Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where they both landed native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.

Also, the father and son were able to fulfill a lifelong dream of paddling the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota on a week-long backcountry fishing trip, where together they witnessed the magic of the Aurora Borealis, after a phenomenal day of fishing together.

Carl is survived by his wife, Sharon Happel Render; son, Austin Taylor (Tara); sister, Debbie Smith (Mark); and grandson, Jackson “Jack” Taylor.

Those wishing to honor Carl may make a donation in his name to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation. In light of the current health situation, a celebration of his life will be held in the future when circumstances permit.