William Reno Pister, age 81 of Centerville, Iowa died Saturday, February 9, 2008 at Centerville Nursing and Rehab.

Reno Pister was born December 28, 1926, the son of William and Ola Agnes (Smith) Pister in Wayne County, Iowa. He graduated from Promise City High School in 1944. He entered into active service in the United States Navy March 23, 1945 and held the rank of Pharmacists Mate Third Class. He served at the Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois and was stationed at Treasure Island, California and at San Francisco, California.

He was honorably discharged from the Navy November, 1946. Reno worked with his brother, LeRoy Smith at Smith Hardware on the southside of the Centerville square. After the hardware store closed he returned to school and graduated from the American School of Radiography Technology in Minneapolis, Minnesota and was a registered X-Ray Technologist. He was employed by the Mount Ayr Hospital. Later, he joined his brother LeRoy in the sales department of Mon­arch Furnace in Quincy, Illinois. Reno moved back to the Wayne County area around 1980 and worked for L & M Tire in Seymour, Iowa before starting his Video Rental Business, which was located on the Northeast corner of the Seymour, Iowa square. Reno served on the Seymour City Council and was a member of the Wayne County American Legion. He loved to garden and was somewhat of an authority on plants and birds. He closely followed and supported the activities of his brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and never forgot a birthday. He was a beloved uncle of several generations.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother LeRoy Smith and his wife Wanda of Souix City, Iowa; Leota May Farrington and her husband John of Centerville, Iowa and Lucile Hull and her husband Bob of Wilton, California.

Surviving Reno in death is his brother Bernard Pister and sister-in-law Marilyn Pister of Centerville; several nieces and nephews and close friend Winifred Wilhite of Chariton, Iowa.

Funeral services with military rites will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Febru­ary 12, at Thomas Lange Funeral Home with Pastor Conrad Thompson officiating.

An open visitation will begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning at Thomas Lange Funeral Home and will continue until time of service. Burial will take place in the Promise City Cemetery.

A memorial has been established to Centerville Nursing and Rehab Act­ivity’s Fund and may be left at or mailed to Thomas Lange Funeral Home, 1900 S. 18th St., Centerville, Iowa, 52544. Condolences may be left online at

www.thomaslangefuneralhome.com.