What a wonderful man Renny was to a Student/Athlete from Waltham who did a Post grad year in 1964 at Rivers. Renny was my coach and biology teacher that year. If I had not gone to Rivers for that one year with Renny, Will Gallagher and Paul Licht as teachers, friends, and mentors I could have not gone on to play college football in Chattanooga and graduated with degrees Education, Biology.
Renny was a wonderful teacher and person. I was in all his science classes and was also coached by Renny. I recall with great fondness his concern for each student, his wit, his gracious manor and love for Rivers. I graduated in 1967 and celebrated our 50th at Rivers a few years ago. Renny was part of all the weekends festivities for which I will always be grateful.
Mr. Little was a wonderful teacher, coach, and mentor of a young teacher getting into the business. I always appreciated his good sense of humor, his positive attitude, and his grace. I have always viewed him as one of the most important people leading to my career as an educator.
Fondly remembered. A great coach and human being. One of the cornerstones during my time at Rivers.
Rest in Peace.
Jim “Cowboy” Crawford
I was in the Rivers' class of 1967 and was privileged to have had Renny as my biology teacher. Renny cared for his students and was forever devoted to Rivers. He was at every major Rivers event I attended over the years and always spoke fondly about my classmates during our discussions. How fortunate I was to have known this kind gentlemen and wonderful educator.
I am but one of hundreds who knew Renny only casually (to my regret), through his leadership in the Harvard Alumni Association. But I know that I speak for hundreds: even a passing encounter with Renny was consistently a pleasure, even a blessing. He brought a welcome warmth and an infectious calm. My heartfelt sympathies to his family, and also gratitude to them for sharing him with us.
A message to all who are joined in mourning over the death of our Harvard 1955 Class Secretary, Warren Little, a man much loved and revered by a long time friend, Rabbi Harvey M. Tattelbaum, Harvard ‘55.
I asked my son to locate Renny’s current phone number. He did his best but when I dialed the “617” number, it either ended connected to silence or to an operator’s voice that said this number is no longer in service.
When my daughter tried again to locate a proper contact number for Renny through the Internet, she sweetly and sensitively passed on the sad information of Renny’s death and all his family who survived him.
Renny was a much loved Class Secretary and a supreme example of Harvard alumnis loyalty. He asked me to participate in our class reunion’s memorial services a number of times and I was honored and glad to be of help in that regard and pleased to have gained satisfaction from Renny for my participation.
We had contacted him a couple of times. Once, after my wife Meryl had formed a budding friendship with his wife Jean, we called shortly after her death. Another time I wrote a conciliatory email when I learned that the 65th reunion for which a class committee under Renny’s leadership had labored long and effectively had to be canceled because of Covid restrictions. He answered me in his way with sweet gratitude and thanked me for caring.
He was a classmate and a friend and a leading light as Secretary of our class. Somehow we felt that he would always be there for us and I admit that his absence is painful. He was such a gracious and positive influence to all the members of our class.
I hope that in some way the ravages of the pandemic and the aches and pains of octogenarian old age will not prevent us from somehow participating in the celebration of his and Jean’s life in the spring of 2022.
Meryl and I offer our deeply felt condolences to all the family and our thanks to them for sharing Renny and his caring goodness with us all these years.
With loving reflection,
Rabbi Harvey M. Tattelbaum.
