San Antonio Hams

Dear Friends of Bill Reichert,

As some of you may have heard by now, it is with very sad hearts that we let you know of the passing of our father.  He was our knight and will be missed beyond words, but it is also our faith that he is surrounded by God’s love and grace and now reunited with our mother who went on before him.  Dad was with his family when he died at about 5:15 a.m. on Friday, November 22, 2013, and we don’t think that’s a coincidental date or time, as our mom also died on a 22^nd and our dad was the founding Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 515, which he loved and devoted much of his life to.

We want people to know that our dad “fought the good fight” (2 Timothy 4:7); he put forth a long and valiant recovery effort after his heart attack and major heart surgery last December 2012.  Just to live into one’s 70s, 80s, or even 90s is to survive, and our dad lived all of his life with a congenital heart problem.  Even so, he got a lot of mileage with his heart: Getting through A&M’s Corps of Cadets, the Korean War, the military, engineering sites out in the field, camping all over the country with the Scouts, and square dancing – and all with a compromised heart, though one with plenty of love.

Even when he had his heart attack last December and called 911 for himself, he still wasn’t down.  With few options and the information he had been given at the time, he chose to go for an intensive heart surgery and not only survived the surgery, but also several weeks in ICU, and then slowly but surely, he started his physical recovery and got better, step by step, at age 82, and all while still having a compromised heart.  Our dad was a very strong man even up until the very end when he realized “it was time,” which also takes a whole lot of mental and spiritual strength and courage.

So many of you have been so helpful to him and to us with your kind words, visits, cards, and emails, right up to the end, and we want to thank you.  We read all the emails and played all the voicemails that came flooding in to him these past few days, and we know that he heard them.  Thank you so much for expressing your love.  This is hard, and we couldn’t do it without you, but some of our mom’s final words were “Carry on!” and that we shall do, trusting in God’s infinite love and grace.

Dad’s obituary was scheduled to be in the Sunday (11/24) and Monday (11/25) editions of the San Antonio Express News, and is available at www.porterloring.com.  Visitation was on Monday, November 25, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Porter Loring Mortuary North.  We anticipate having some time during the visitation when those who wish can share a few brief remarks about their fondest memory of our dad.  The funeral was at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 26, at Coker United Methodist Church with interment following at Mission Burial Park South.  The Rev. Dr. Barbara Galloway officiated.

Again, thank you so much for all your love and support.  We miss our dad terribly and find it hard to believe that he is gone – but only from us, until we meet again, but never gone from God.

Marianne, Charles, & Andy Reichert

“May the Great Master of all Scouts be with us till we meet again” (Scout benediction).