Ben Reiling

1941 - 2019

8/3/1941 - 1/23/2019 Bernard (Ben) Albert Reiling Jr. passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at his long-time Pasadena home on January 23, 2019. He was 77 years old. Ben was born on August 3, 1941 in Glendale, CA to Helen & Bernard Reiling Sr. He was raised in Altadena and attended St. Elizabeth Parish School, Elliot Junior High and John Muir High School, graduating in 1959. Ben was an entirely self-made man. His hard work, perseverance and integrity would be common threads throughout his life. He started with a paper route at the age of 8, later working in his father's gas station after school and on weekends. It was on a Saturday morning in 1959, when Ben went to pick up Judy's mom's car for service, that Judy and Ben met as then 15 and 16 year olds. Ben enlisted in the Navy and began active duty shortly after high school while Judy finished high school and then went on to USC. Ben was stationed in the South Pacific where he worked on the Pacific missile range. After completing his overseas work, Ben was stationed in Oakland, CA where he attended UC Berkeley in the evenings. After completing his service, Ben retuned to Los Angeles and Judy. Ben and Judy were married shortly thereafter (at Westminster Church) in 1965. Ben enrolled at Cal State LA with a full course load while working a 40 hour week at the family gas station. Ben graduated with a BS in Finance in 1965 and began working for R.A. Rowan Company in Los Angeles, specializing in industrial real estate. Early on, Ben developed a strong relationship with Julius (Julie) Zelman of Zelman Development Co. In 1973, Ben joined Zelman Development Co. as a junior partner. The company continued to grow and prosper and in 1985 Julie Zelman retired and Ben became the owner of Zelman Development Co. Under Ben's leadership the company expanded into industrial, office, retail and self-storage development. During his 50-year career, Ben Reiling developed and/or acquired over 10 million square feet of commercial properties in dozens of locations in California, Washington, Colorado, Florida and Oregon. Notable local projects developed under Ben's leadership include Burbank Empire Center, Encinitas Ranch Town Center, and Moorpark Marketplace, as well as many others. Ben retired from Zelman Development Co. in 2015. Ben's unique legacy in the Southern California real estate community is due more to his integrity, character and optimism than his considerable success. He was a partner, friend and mentor to many. He has been a frequent speaker at the USC Marshall School of Business and was also the only developer recognized by the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors with the prestigious Roy Seeley award, given by the Los Angels Chapter of SIOR for high integrity and ethics in the real estate community. Philanthropy is a thread that has run deep with Ben and Judy. In addition to establishing the Reiling Family Foundation which annually supports many worthwhile charities, Ben was also an active Board member, often Chairman, of many local nonprofits including: Hillsides Home for Children, Youth Moving On (Hillsides), Boy Scouts of America, the San Marino Motor Classic (of which he is a co-founder) benefitting the Pasadena Humane Society and the California Highway Patrol 11-99 Foundation. Ben has been recognized with numerous awards for his leadership and service, including the Angel Award (Hillsides) and the Champions of Scouting Award (Boy Scouts). Ben's son, Mike, is an Eagle Scout and Ben was Scoutmaster of Mike's troop for many years. Following in his dad's footsteps, Mike is currently the Scoutmaster of troop 355 with his sons, Jeffrey and Matthew. Ben's passions outside of real estate included his cars, his home and his family. With his first Ford T-bucket came the saying he embraced: "He who dies with the most toys wins." Car collecting, restoring and racing became a passion of Ben's. He was very involved with the Peterson Automotive Museum and his passions included racing at Willow Springs and the Bonneville salt flats. He hosted many events at his car warehouse and enjoyed sharing the details of his collection with one and all. Above all, Ben was a family man. He was an extremely devoted and loving husband, father and grandfather. He never missed a kids' game and made family his top priority. Ben loved animals and was always rescuing an abandoned kitten or injured bird or squirrel. Ben instilled a dedication to fitness in his children, running for years with his daughter, Carolee, and his running group at the LA Athletic Club. Ben loved to travel with his family all over Europe and Asia and he went on many adventures with Judy, including Russia and the Czech Republic. Ben is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Judy, children Carolee, Michael (Kerry) and grandchildren Jeffrey, Matthew, Ella and Lily. His celebration of life will be held at 1 o'clock, February 23rd at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1757 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in his name to Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Hillsides Home for Children, the San Marino Motor Classic or a charity of your choice. Please sign the guestbook at legacy.com/obituaries/pasadenastarnews. WL00188930-image-1.jpg