Background
He was born in Jevnaker as a son of Christian Wilhelm Rynning-Tønnesen (1893–1963) and pharmacist Sigrid Jacobsen (1896–1961), and grew up in Kristiansand where his father was police chief
He was born in Jevnaker as a son of Christian Wilhelm Rynning-Tønnesen (1893–1963) and pharmacist Sigrid Jacobsen (1896–1961), and grew up in Kristiansand where his father was police chief
University of Oslo.
He was a nephew of Sverre Rynning-Tønnesen. Their son Christian Rynning-Tønnesen is a leading corporate executive. He graduated with the candidate.jur. degree from the University of Oslo in 1949.
He was hired as a police superindendent in Bergen in 1960 and Kristiansand in 1963.
He then served as police inspector in Bergen from 1968, then police chief of Kristiansand from 1979 to 1992. He died in April 2013.