William C. Rainer

Dr. William C. Rainer, 84, went to be with the Lord on July 9, 2015, after a short battle with cancer. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Angela, and six children, Ann Rainer, William C. Rainer, Jr., Ellen Rainer (Jack), Madeline McMullen (Don), Valerie Rainer and Joseph Rainer. Dr. Rainer was born in Suffern, N.Y.,k on April 17, 1931.

He graduated from Georgetown University in 1952 and then continued medical studies at Georgetown. After medical school, he served in the U.S. Army as a surgeon, stationed in Bamberg, West Germany, for the 3rd and 10th Infantry Divisions. He then completed surgical residency at Orange Memorial Hospital in Orange, N.J. He had a practice as a general surgeon at St. Clare’s Hospital in Denville, N.J., for 33 years, where he served several terms as chief of surgery as well as on the Board of Directors. Dr. Rainer was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and served as the president of the New Jersey Chapter in the early 1990s. After retiring from his private practice in 1996, he served as medical director emeritus at Sunrise House in Lafayette, N.J. Bill Rainer had many interesting hobbies. He was an opera buff, a master photographer, and he delighted in sharing his knowledge of the wildflowers and minerals of New Jersey. In lieu of sending flowers, donations may be made to Xavier High School, 30 West 16 Street, New York, NY 10011, www.xavierhs.org.

A memorial service will be held at St. Francis de Sales Church, 614 Route 517, Vernon, N.J., on Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m..

Funeral arrangements thru the Ferguson-Vernon Funeral Home, Vernon, N.J. To send online condolences, please go to www.fergusonvernonfuneralhome.com.