In Memoriam: Joseph Leonard Renda, M.D.
December 2, 1942–February 14, 2013
Joseph Leonard Renda, M.D. ’68, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, at his home in Middlebury after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 70 years old.
Dr. Renda was senior partner in Associated Specialists in Nephrology and Hypertension in Waterbury and an active participant in the Yale teaching program at Waterbury Hospital.
Dr. Renda was born in New York City on December 2, 1942, son of the late Paul and Mary (Guaratta) Renda.
He attended New York University, where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa in 1964 with a double major in medieval history and chemistry. He subsequently graduated from Yale School of Medicine in 1968, where he also completed his internship and residency.
From 1970 to 1972, Dr. Renda served as chief medical officer on the USS George Washington Carver, a nuclear submarine, and he was discharged with the rank of lieutenant commander. He was then chosen to serve as chief resident and clinical associate at Yale.
After his training, Dr. Renda was recruited to Waterbury Hospital to augment the newly formed academic teaching program with Yale University. At Waterbury Hospital, Dr. Renda distinguished himself as both an outstanding clinician and academician and received numerous teaching awards, including the Yale University Residency Teaching Award and the George F. Thornton Teaching Award.
Dr. Renda aided in expanding the nephrology service and hemodialysis unit at Waterbury Hospital and was instrumental in establishing a comprehensive peritoneal dialysis unit in Waterbury. During his tenure at Waterbury Hospital he served on numerous committees, including the Graduate Education Committee, the Research Committee, and the Intensive Care Unit Committee. He had also served as chair of the Nephrology Department and was a longtime member of the Waterbury Hospital Board of Trustees.
Dr. Renda was a supporter of the National Kidney Foundation and had served on its Medical Advisory Board, Patient Care Committee, and Scholarship Committee. He also served on the board of directors of the End Stage Renal Disease Network of New England.
Dr. Renda was associate clinical professor of Medicine at Yale, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a fellow of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Society of Hypertension, where he was certified as a clinical specialist. He was a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, was listed in Best Doctors in America, and had been named as a Top Doctor in Connecticut magazine on numerous occasions. In 2011, Dr. Renda received the National Kidney Foundation’s Gift of Life Community Achievement Award. More recently, the Dr. Joseph L. Renda Inpatient Teaching Firm was established at Waterbury Hospital, along with a lecture series in his honor, citing him as an “outstanding physician and nephrologist, enthusiastic teacher and role model physician serving the Waterbury community.”
He leaves behind his wife of 40 years, Rosemary (DeMennato) Renda; his daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine; a son, Dr. Matthew Renda; grandchildren Hayden and Justin; and daughter, Sara Renda Grauch, son-in-law, Jason Grauch, and grandchildren, Spencer and Charles.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, March 5, at 10 a.m. at Yale University’s Battell Chapel, Corner of College and Elm Streets, New Haven. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Yale School of Medicine. Donations should note: “In Memory of Dr. Joseph Renda” and be mailed to the Yale School of Medicine Development Office, P.O. Box 7611, New Haven, CT 06519. Or donations may be entered online at: http://giving.yale.edu/.