Richard J. Reichert

As you may have heard I died Friday, June 26, 2020. I was not really surprised at my death, but I am surprised at the long run I had at life – 86 years! (That means I was born back in 1934, on February 15 to be exact.) I was born in St. Louis, MO to Rich and Henrietta, (nee Bieser) who were the absolute best parents any boy could hope for. Fortunately, I’m finally in a position to let them know how truly grateful I am. I also had a wonderful older sister, Dot, who eventually joined the Sparkill Domincan Sisters and was called Sister Celeste Marie. After high school I too joined religious life for a while, spending the next 15 years living and working with the Brothers of St. Joseph, a branch of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Those were good years in every way imaginable. I left in 1968, however, and married Sara (Crowell) in 1969. She became not just my wife and lover, but my best friend, my most honest critic, my ongoing inspiration to live Gospel values. Her crowning gift to me, however, has been our two loving, devoted and talented daughters, Pegeen and Betsy Jo. Pegeen in turn presented us with a terrific son-in-law, Doug Powell and two very special grandchildren, Charlie and Elizabeth. Not to be outdone, Betsy Jo gave us an equally terrific son-in-law, Billy Parkinson and our precious granddaughters, Josie and Sadie.

I worked in religious education all my adult life, including 25 years at the Green Bay Diocesan Office. In the process I received a few national awards but, honestly, those don’t seem very important right now. On the side I also wrote a number of religious education books and to my surprise ended up selling over a million copies of my various works. Hopefully that legacy is still bearing fruit in some way.

I did the usual “guy” things for hobbies. I loved to hunt, fish, and make things out of wood. To be honest I was never really good at any of my hobbies, but I sure enjoyed them and could match any fisherperson, lie for lie. I also did some volunteer work, mostly through my parish, St. Matthew’s in Allouez, but I now regret I had not done more of it.

My family asks that in my memory you write a note to a loved one who needs to hear from you. There has been a private family service.