Guy Anthony Renzaglia

1918 – 2010

  If there was ever a man who inspired everyone he met, it was Guy Renzaglia. After retiring from Southern Illinois University, Guy decided it was his civic duty, as an Italian, to start growing grapes. From there, he started Alto Vineyards and the rest is history. While this is undoubtedly a great story, and helps to define Guy as a person, it is a small part of what made him great. From humble beginnings in Minnesota, Guy, through hard work and a ceaseless passion for life, achieved extraordinary things. From attending George Washington University on a football scholarship (where he roomed with Red Auerbach, and went on to be inducted in the George Washington Athletics Hall of Fame), finishing first in his class at Officer Candidate School in the US Army Air Corps, or in obtaining two master’s degrees and his PhD in Psychology at the University of Minnesota, Guy never ducked having to work hard in order to get where he wanted.  His legacy is especially strong at Southern Illinois University, where he founded the Rehabilitation Institute, while on faculty for 23 years.  Guy was devoted to improving the life of everyone he was close with, especially those with disabilities, and his impact in this field reverberated nation-wide.  However, he would surely agree that his life’s work was achieved in meeting and marrying his wonderful and devoted wife, Betty, and raising seven successful and loving children, who in turn themselves raised a whole host of grandchildren, in whose lives Guy was an ever-present influence and role model. While Guy had a hugely positive influence on the world, and especially the Illinois wine industry, it was with his family where he truly flourished. He will be dearly missed, and always remembered.