Sheldon Louis Rieger

1926 - 2017

Sheldon Louis Rieger, 90, of Lodi passed away on January 5, 2017. Born on January 11, 1926 in Lodi, Sheldon was an avid dancer and traveler and recently undertook a 16-day cruise to Hawaii. From climbing the Great Wall of China to hot air ballooning over the Sarengeti in Africa, he explored the world. He was also a diehard San Francisco Giants and 49ers fan and enjoyed playing tennis and racquetball.
A United States Navy veteran, Sheldon was a tailgunner on dive bombers. Fortuitously, Japan surrendered, and the Pacific War ended the day before his aircraft carrier was to set sail for the Pacific Theater. He then graduated from the University of Denver, the first member of his family, and the only one of his 11 siblings to earn a college degree.
After working for a brief time in Los Angeles, Sheldon returned to Lodi where he practiced as a Certified Public Accountant for over 56 years. His eldest son, Robin, later joined him in practice, and they worked together for over 30 years.
Sheldon is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Nancy. Together, they worked, lived and traveled together while raising their family. He is survived by their two sons, Robin and Kevin, and their respective spouses, Faye and Franco. Additionally, he is survived by his two grandsons Joshua and Matthew and their respective spouses, Ja'h Nika and Arielle, and a great granddaughter, Amya. He is also survived by his younger brother, Earl Rieger.
Services will be held this Thursday, January 12, at 3:00 pm at Lodi Funeral Home, 725 S Fairmont Ave, Lodi, CA. Committal will be private. To honor Sheldon's love for children, memorial donations may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children-Northern California, Development Office, 2425 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817 or via their website at http://loveshriners.org .