William John "Bill" Reitz

William John "Bill" Reitz, 90, of Buchanan, passed away peacefully at West Woods of Niles.

A celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions in Bill's name may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Swem Chapel, Buchanan. Those wishing to send a condolence online may do so at www.swemchapel.com.

Bill was born on January 9, 1936, to John and Emily (Rosenthal) Reitz in Baroda. He graduated from Baroda High School and was a standout basketball player and saxophone player. Bill served in the United States Army as a Sergeant being honorably discharged in 1963.

On June 16, 1979, he married Phyllis Herter at Buchanan Church of Christ.

Professionally, Bill began his career operating his own service station. He later joined Clark Equipment Company, where he dedicated many years working as a machinist. After retiring from Clark, he and Phyllis began running their own Video Store in Buchanan, which they successfully operated for 14 years. In 1997 they relocated to Tennessee where he worked for Federal Mogul until his retirement. Twenty-Five years later he and his wife, Phyllis, moved back to Buchanan.

In his earlier years, Bill enjoyed racing as a stock car driver, spending time hunting, shooting, golfing, and playing in a band. Bill was an avid dog lover. Over the course of his life he owned three full size Doberman Pinschers. As another hobby, he took great pride in competitively showing one of these three beloved dogs, which brought him great joy.

Exceptionally handy and mechanically gifted, Bill could fix just about anything, from home improvement projects to electronics; he was never one to shy away from a new venture or challenge. A natural problem solver, he was truly a man of many talents.

He loved music. In addition to playing the saxophone, he taught himself to play the accordion, participating in a small polka band with his father, John Reitz. In addition, Bill was a lifetime member of the Buchanan Moose Lodge #449.

Bill is survived by his wife of 46 years, Phyllis Reitz; daughter, Tara (Bill) Blackstone; grandchildren, Mackenzie Blackstone and Will Blackstone.