Father of Roxanne Reichle Barton ’77 passed away

REICHLEHarlan Earl

Harlan Earl Reichle, 86, died on April 17, 2014. Harlan was born February 17, 1928, and raised in Cincinnati and Springfield, Ohio, where he graduated from Central Catholic High School. After graduation in 1946, Harlan enlisted in the Army and served in it and the Ohio Army National Guard through the mid-50s, ultimately becoming a Ranger and reaching the rank of Captain.

Upon returning home to Ohio, Harlan began work in the homebuilding business with the HB Lane Company in Springfield, Ohio. By the late 1950s Harlan had settled in the Toledo area where he started his own homebuilding and land development business, H.E. Reichle, Inc., which he operated until his retirement.

While each was on a blind date, Harlan met Barbara Thomson, whom he later married. Harlan and Barbara had four children, Roxanne, Harlan, Richard and Hollie and raised their family in Waterville, Ohio. Harlan loved and was most proud of his wife and family.

Harlan was always one for giving back and getting involved. He was active in the Toledo Homebuilders Association and numerous community projects. He was elected to the Waterville Village Council and served as Mayor. Harlan was also very active in Republican Party politics and lent his efforts to many local, state and national candidate and issue campaigns.

In 1996, Harlan and Barbara retired and moved to Crystal Lake in Beulah, Michigan where they had maintained a second home for many years. Harlan could never sit still for long and retirement resembled life before retirement. He continued doing some small land development projects and built a few homes just to keep busy. He was very active in his adopted community, becoming a member of Rotary, where he was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow, and helping Barbara in her fundraising projects. He was elected to serve as a Lake Township Trustee and served until he resigned in 2010 for health reasons. He was also very involved in his parish, St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Frankfort, MI. One of his last big projects was overseeing the extensive renovation and expansion of St. Ann’s in 2005.

Harlan has been called a “man’s man,” and is best known for his humor and his love of a good time. He loved to laugh, had a quick smile with a mischievous glint in his eyes, and was known to be involved in many a prank on his friends. In his younger days he was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a pilot and with his hunting and fishing buddies owned several planes in which they traveled North America pursuing whatever was in season. He enjoyed the winters in Michigan cross country skiing and snowmobiling. He came to love the game of golf and was a member at Heatherdowns Country Club. He left Heatherdowns to join and ultimately become one of the owner/partners in what was then Byrnwick Country Club in Maumee, Ohio. He then became a member at Crystal Downs in Frankfort, Michigan.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Mildred Seipel; father, Edward Reichle, and wife, Barbara, and is survived by children, Roxanne Barton, (Richard), Harlan, (Lynette), Richard, and Hollie Carls; his grandchildren, Christian and Olivia Reichle, Chloe and Nathan Carls; step grandson, Justin Stevens; brothers, David Reichle, Ferd Seipel and Jack Seipel.

Visitation is Monday, April 28, from 2-8 p.m. at Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave, Toledo. A funeral mass will be offered on Tuesday April 29, at 11 a.m. at Little Flower Catholic Church on Dorr St, Toledo. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association ,

www.alz.org

or the Rotary International at

www.toledorotary.org

Published in Toledo Blade on Apr. 22, 2014