William F. Rieke, Jr.
William Frederick Rieke, Jr., age 83, of Ridgefield passed away on October 3, 2015. He was the loving husband of Mary (Chakerian) Rieke.
Mr. Rieke was born on December 5, 1931 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of the late William and Vaudrene (Sonderman) Rieke.
The family relocated to New York in 1940, where Mr. Rieke graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1950.
He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, earning his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree in 1954. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1955 to 1957 and was a First Lieutenant at the time of his honorable discharge from active duty.
Mr. Rieke worked almost his entire career at Shell Chemical Company, primarily in Marketing and Sales. He worked in numerous locations including Houston, Charlotte, Cleveland, New York, Los Angeles and London before settling in Ridgefield in 1971.
In retirement he was an active member of the Ridgefield Rotary Club. He also volunteered for the Salvation Army and the American Red Cross. He remained a lifelong fan of his hometown St. Louis Cardinals.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his sister, Elaine Smith.
Friends and family will be received on Friday, October 9, 2015 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Kane Funeral Home, 25 Catoonah Street, Ridgefield, CT.
Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Ridgefield Rotary Foundation or Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Gifts to the Ridgefield Rotary Foundation can be made by mailing a check to P.O. Box 41, Ridgefield, CT 06877. Gifts to Rensselaer can be made online at giving.rpi.edu or by mailing a check to: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Gifts Processing Center, P.O. Box 3164, Boston, MA 02241-3164.