Gustav J. "Gus" Rieckhoff Jr.

Gustav John "Gus" Rieckhoff, Jr., age 99, of Quincy, died on Monday, September 15, 2025 at 1:50 am in Blessing Hospital.

He was the son of Gustav John Rieckhoff Sr. and Edna Henrietta Rieckhoff, born in Burlington, Iowa on August 20 th , 1926.

Gus married his childhood sweetheart Elaine Marie Anderson on June 7 th , 1953, in The Little Brown Church in the Vale, Nashua, Iowa. Elaine passed away in 2007. Gus and Elaine were married 54 years.

Gus and Elaine were blessed with three wonderful children, Susan Elaine (Thomas) Cutrone, Gustav John Rieckhoff III, and Robert Vinson Rieckhoff.

Gus graduated from Burlington High School in 1944 when he was 16. He attended The Iowa Wesleyan College, The University of Minnesota, and graduated from The Knox College with a BME degree, and The University of Iowa with a MA degree. Gus did additional study in machine technology and blue print reading at John Wood Community College. In 1962, he graduated from Richards Band Instrument Repair.

In 1994, Iowa Wesleyan College gave Gus the 50 year alumni award. Knox College 50 Year Alumni Association later awarded Gus the Outstanding Alumni Scholar award in 1998. Gus had played in many outstanding concert bands and orchestras over the years including the Za-Ga-Zig and Kaaba Shrine, Karl King Municipal Band, The University of Minnesota Symphonic Band and Orchestra, The University of Iowa Symphonic Band, The All-American Bandmasters Band, All-Star Marching Band for All-star football game (Soldiers Field), The Quincy Symphony Orchestra for 40 years, Quincy Park Band, Quincy All-Star Clarinet Choir, Quincy College Band, Quincy Community Band, and Columbia (MO) Concert Band. His school bands won state championship for 25 years.

Gus started to teach instrumental music in central Iowa in 1948 when he was 21.

In 1953, Gus directed the West Branch (Iowa) Band honoring President Harry S. Truman at the Iowa State fair (Des Moines, Iowa) when President Truman received the "outstanding Iowa award." The band won the Sweepstakes Trophy at Iowa's Music educator's contest in 1953 and in the same year, were also featured on the national TV (Dave Garroway Show) on the 80 th birthday of President Herbert Hoover and is shown at the Herbert Hoover library in West Branch and is in the library of congress (Washington D.C.). President Dwight Eisenhower and Harry Truman were in attendance.

Gus and his family moved to Quincy in 1958 as the woodwind specialist for the Quincy Public Schools. He then started a music studio and small music store in his home and had 105 private students studying woodwind and brass instruments.

In 1960, Gus opened Quincy School Music Center at 832 Maine and had been serving music education to this date. Gus and Elaine won a trip to Japan as one of 30 outstanding music dealers with the Yamaha Musical Instrument Company in 1971.

Gus taught concert band at Pleasant Hill, Illinois from 1960 to 1969. In 1967, Pleasant Hill Community School dedicated the school year book to Gus. In June 1969, he experienced the peak of his career when the 101 member Pleasant Hill Concert Band played in the Illinois State Capitol Rotunda in Springfield, IL for the governor Otto Kerner, senate, and House of Representatives prior to their month long Good Will Tour of Europe sponsored by the People to People International. The band performed 14 concerts to standing room audiences in Denmark, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The band received standing ovations at each performance.

Gus's greatest love and legacy has been his passion to teach the love of music to his 4th and 5th grade free music lessons as Mr. MEAN (Music Education for All New Musicians). It is estimated Gus has given over 13,000 free music lessons the past 57 years. Gus worked at his store when he was in his 90s and was always glad to help and encourage young musicians to do their best. His teaching philosophy was: "We teachers cannot govern the student's talent, but we can help them fulfill their full potential."

In the 1980's, Gus made several trips to Taiwan as a band instrument consultant and helped develop a line of woodwind and brass instruments.

Gus invented several improvements for the clarinet and his first patent was issued in 1994. His products are sold worldwide and used by some of the top universities, symphony orchestras, recording artists, and service bands. Gus developed a new type of ligature for the clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, and new type of thumb rest for the clarinet and oboe. He was in the process of making a revolutionary tuning barrel for the clarinet. In his spare time, he made and repaired clarinets and oboes in his workshop at home.

In 1999, Gus was one of the clarinet soloists with the Columbia (MO) Community Band on their concert tour of England and Scotland. One concert was held in the famous castle in Edinburg, Scotland.

In 2005, Gus was guest soloist with the Columbia Concert Band at the national convention of the American Community Band Association in Quincy and was presented the prestigious "Orpheus award" by the honorary Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity "for the outstanding contribution for advancement of music in America."

Gus was a member and song leader of the Quincy Rotary Club for 45 years with a perfect attendance. In 1970, he was made a Rotary Paul Harris fellow by Rotary International. Gus was a Master Mason since 1948 and was a member of The Bodley Lodge No. 1, The Knights Templar, Quincy Consistory (with his 32nd Degree), High Twelve International, Phi Mu Alpha Honorary Music Fraternity, National Band Association, American School Band Directors Association, and member of Illinois and National Music Educators Association.

Gus helped the morning Kiwanis Club – Gem City organize and was the founder of the Quincy Community Band. He was also a founding member of Der Heidelburg German Band for the first Rotary Club Octoberfest in 1970.

Gus and Elaine always enjoyed their many trips to their mountain cabin affectionately known as "Rhapsody in Green" in Estes Park, Colorado for over 50 years.

Gus was preceded in death by his wife Elaine, parents, and a brother, Eugene Burton Rieckhoff.

Visitation: 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Friday, September 26, 2025 at the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home.

Memorial Service: 1:00 pm on Friday, September 26, 2025 at the Hansen-Spear Funeral Home, with Rev. Steve Disseler officiating.

Memorial donations may be made to the Quincy Concert Band or The Salvation Army Hometown

Endowment. Memorial donations may be made online at https://memorials.hansenspear.com/

www.hansenspear.com

Hansen-Spear Funeral Directors are in charge of the arrangements.