Al Reiter

Al Reiter loved his life. Happily married to his one true love, the proud father of two children and the adoring grandfather of a granddaughter, he lived each day as though it was the best day of his life. Al was a hardworking and loyal member of the Muskegon community for much of his life. His years of dedicated work afforded him both a happy place in life, and a family that loved him dearly. In the year 1931, America found itself in trouble as the Great Depression pushed toward new heights, as one out of every four individuals was unemployed. It was a hard and challenging time, but in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, a city situated along the Allegheny River, Harry Reiter and his wife, Bessie (Caplan), maintained positive spirits by focusing on a special blessing in their lives. On October 11, 1931, they welcomed the birth of their son, Alfred Frank, the fourth of their five children. Al enjoyed a typical childhood growing up in New Kensington in the company of his three older siblings, Martin, Alvin and Jeannette, and younger brother, Kenneth. His father earned a living selling produce and operating a store in town. Once Al was old enough, he helped along in the store, though much of his leisure time was spent fishing, which he learned to love at an early age. For education, Al attended the area schools, where he excelled as a basketball player and earned a scholarship to play at Waynesburg College. Upon graduating Tarentum High School in 1949, he headed to classes at Waynesburg and played basketball, but found it a struggle to keep his grades up so he left after a year. Al then enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a MP while stationed at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. After his honorable discharge from the military, Al returned home to Pennsylvania and went back to Waynesburg College to complete his education. While in the library one day, Al met a pretty young lady named Delilah Sue Brown, who worked there, but was also a student. Sue was star struck when she saw Al because she thought he looked just like the handsome Paul Newman. The two soon began dating and fell hopelessly in love. Shortly after graduating, the sweethearts eloped and were happily married on June 3, 1959, in Westchester, Virginia. To support his new wife, Al worked a variety of sales jobs before going to work for Junior Achievement, Inc. in 1963. After some time, the company sent Al to work in Muskegon, Michigan, where he eventually became the Director of Junior Achievement, a position he held for 30 years. Al and Sue loved the Muskegon area with its great beaches, the lake on which Al could fish, and the close-knit community. Sue was able to get a job as an elementary teacher in the Muskegon Public Schools. The couple made their home in Norton Shores, and it was here they would raise their two wonderful children: Jennifer born in 1970, and Phillip born in 1972. Although work kept Al busy, he was always a very active and supportive father to his children in all their activities. Family was the most cherished thing in his life. Al and Sue had a wonderful marriage. They were so much in love and being opposites made things all the more interesting. Al was well organized, Sue was messy he was a man of few words, and she could talk on and on; they even liked to squabble for fun on all kinds of topics. One thing they did agreed on wholeheartedly was their love for their precious granddaughter, Avery. She was Papas girl and there wasnt anything her Papa wouldnt do for her. He would drop her off and pick her up from preschool and other activities, and there was usually a stop at the candy store coming home. Al retired from Junior Achievement in 1993, though Sue kept working for another 10 years. He kept himself busy working on his yard and tending to his garden, where he grew tomatoes and various other vegetables. With a love for fishing, it was only natural that Al had a boat called the Hungry Fisherman which he loved to take out on Lake Michigan for some salmon fishing. Every once in a while he would take someone with him, but usually he went fishing alone, enjoying the peace and quiet. He was an active member of the Muskegon Rotary Club and the Mona Lake Boat Club. Al also enjoyed his daily coffee get togethers with his buddies at McDonalds or Burger King. They called themselves the Good Ole Boys and they were sure they could solve all the world problems over a cup of coffee. Much to his coffee buddies dismay though, Al was a lifelong, die-hard fan of all the Pittsburgh sports teams, especially the Steelers and Penguins. This summer Al began having problems with his lungs, which slowed him down a bit. Unfortunately, the problem was bigger than they thought and his health started failing quickly. Surrounded by his loving family, Al passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2009, at the age of 77. Al will be lovingly remembered for his generous spirit, his strength of mind and his unconditional love for his family. He will be dearly missed. Wife of 50 years, Sue; daughter, Jennifer (Corey) Agard of Muskegon; son, Phillip Reiter of Chicago; granddaughter and namesake, Avery Alyssa Agard; brothers, Dr. Martin Reiter of NC, Alvin (Phyllis) Reiter of CA, Kenneth (Ellen) Reiter of NC; mother-in-law, Margaret Brown of PA, and numerous in-laws, nieces, and nephews. He is also survived by many close friends, whose friendships he cherished. He was preceded in death by his parents, an infant sister, and his older sister Jeannette Reiter Swift of NY. In accordance with his wishes, there will be no funeral. The family will to hold a celebration of his life at a later date. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.