Richard A. Reichle

Richard Arnold “Dick” Reichle, 89, of Cambridge, MN died on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at his home from atrial fibrillation and myelodysplastic syndrome. He stated on many occasions to his wife, children, and loved ones that he was luckier than he had any right to be, and that fortune carried on to the end when his heavenly Father gave him a blessed end to take him from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven. 

He was born April 14, 1936 in Saginaw, MI to Arnold Ernst and Clara (Bernreuter) Reichle. He was baptized at home on April 28th, 1936. He is the oldest of their five children: Roy, Carol, Ronald, and Marcia. He had 6 cousins on the Reichle side and 16 cousins on the Bernreuter side, all of which were childhood companions and whose friendships persisted all through their lives. He confirmed the faith of Redeemer Lutheran Church on Palm Sunday 1950; his confirmation verse was Psalm 27:4. 

He graduated from Saginaw High School, where he enjoyed being on the football team, in 1954. He was awarded a Regents Scholarship from the University of Michigan, but too much involvement in managing the football team and not enough involvement in his studies resulted in his academic adviser telling him to take a year off in his junior year. Dad decided to join the military and grow up. He had been enamored of airplanes from his youth, so there was only one choice as to which branch of the military he would join: the Air Force. He served from 1957 until his honorable discharge in 1961. He rose to the rank of Airman First Class E-4 and was awarded a Good Conduct Medal. He worked on radio and radar maintenance on B-52s and C-124s. More importantly, he made two lifelong friends: Bill “Goose” Davis and Mike “The Greek” Kambouzi. He returned to the University of Michigan to earn his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1966. 

On Memorial Day weekend of 1963, he met Elly Symons. They were part of the Lutheran Young Adults group of Saginaw who went to Camp Arcadia to clean up the camp before its summer ministries. Elly knew he was sweet on her when he contrived to have her ride in his car on the way home. They married on August 21, 1965 at Redeemer. Lifelong friends from the Lutheran Young Adults group were Norm & Bonnie Bergdolt, Bob & Lana Hoyer, and Tom Pfundt. 

Dick earned his master’s degree in wildlife management from the University of Michigan in 1969. What does an Air Force radio mechanic with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in wildlife management do? He puts radios on wildlife. The University of Minnesota hired him for its radio telemetry program at Cedar Creek in 1969. Much to the dismay of his parents, Dick moved his pregnant wife and their firstborn daughter to Minnesota to pursue this career. He was given a wonderful opportunity when Don Siniff invited him to participate in the United States Antarctic Research Program’s seal study. He began that in 1970 and went down to the ice 18 times; the last time in 1999. Most times, he went to McMurdo Station by C-130 from New Zealand, but a few times he went to Palmer Station by ice breaker from Argentina. It was there that he developed his taste for Drambuie. He was honored to have an Antarctic mesa named after him in 1977. As the University of Minnesota’s program at Cedar Creek neared its end, Dick, Dick Huempfner, Ralph Schuster, and Larry Kuechle ventured to form Advanced Telemetry Systems, Inc. to do commercially what they had been doing academically. This venture succeeded. It outgrew the duplex near Coopers Corner and moved into their own building on 1st Ave in Isanti, where it remains in operation to this day. Dick worked diligently and with much satisfaction at ATS until his retirement at the age of 70. It would be years after that retirement before he stopped going into the office altogether. 

Upon moving to Minnesota, Dick and Elly joined St. John Lutheran Church of Weber where Laura, Linda, Nathan, and Kent were all baptized. It was from this church’s membership that they found important friends here in Minnesota. The “Blatz Brothers” would get together for Super Bowl, chicken butchering, and July 4th; Pastor and Evonne Bode, Jerry and Maryanne Krueger, Don and Norma Strehlo, Aaron and Ethel Boettcher, and Kurt and Mavis Becker. The Marriage Encounter weekend began friendships that provided encouragement in both directions through many of life’s challenges and in an annual weekend at Betty Stamm’s cabin; Larry and LaVern Schultz, John and Sandy Schultz, Lynn Schultz, Rod and Sara Elmstrand, Kevin and Jan Westerberg, Pastor and Pam Rose, and Betty Stamm. A Thursday monthly lunch group began in retirement; Dick and Judi Huempfner, Dave and Pat Jaeger, Bob Bjornoos, and Laura and Ward.

Yet, he never left his Michigan roots. He did begin to root for the Twins after their World Championship in 1987 and held season tickets until 2012, but he always had a soft spot for the Tigers, and he certainly never laid aside his loyalty to his alma mater. Go Blue! He took his family back to Michigan to visit family every Christmas and for a week every summer and often for Thanksgiving also. The summer weeks, which began at his father’s insistence, began at Sault Ste. Marie in the 70s and is still happening today at Eddie’s Cottages in Cheboygan. 

He was an avid outdoorsman. He and Elly honeymooned on an island in a lake only accessible by float plane in Ontario. He took each of his children on a “coming of age” Boundary Waters Canoe Area camping trip when they were 12. He hiked and camped at many United States national parks. He and Elly went to the top of Harney/Black Elk Peak annually from the 90s until the 10s. From the time of his retirement in 2006 until 2019, he and Elly went to Alaska from August until October when the mosquito count was manageable. They bought an extra spare tire for their conversion van so they could go up the Arctic Highway. Then they bought a Sprinter van so they could bring a canoe inside the van up to Alaska. 

Play and competition were important to Dick for his whole life. High school football, managing on the college football team, playing baseball in the Air Force, playing church and bar league slow pitch softball into his 50s, and finally, absolutely obliterating his sons in the last game of euchre he played when he partnered with Elly while they waited for supper at Parmly Rehab facility in December. He was a physically strong man, which he credited to Jimmie Johnson’s CMMA fitness classes for keeping him in shape and able to do a pullup while he was 85. 

The Gospel of Jesus was most important to Dick for his whole life. His parents taught him faith in Jesus and, he in turn, taught the faith of Jesus to his children. In this faith, he now rests, awaiting to be awoken when Jesus comes back from the right hand of the Father. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife’s parents, Edna and Leroy, his brothers, Roy, who died in infancy, and Ron, who died at 73, and his niece, Amy Clarrie Kowalski. 

Dick is survived by his wife Elly, children Edna Reichle-Terry of Cambridge, Laura (Ward) Pierson of Cambridge, Linda (Chad) Heinzel of Reinbeck, IA, Nate (Sarah) Reichle of Manawa, WI, Kent Reichle of Cheyenne, WY, grandchildren Andrew, Caleb, Miciah, Luke, Lily, Estella, Mina, Julius, Peter, Augie, and Ollie; sisters Carol (Jim) Garlo of MI, Marcia (Mark) Kowalski of MI, sister-in-law Val Reichle of MI, brother-in-law John Symons of MI, sister-in-law Jean (Tom) Ash of FL, 8 nieces, 6 nephews and many other relatives and friends.

Memorial Service 11AM, Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Joy Lutheran Church, 33525 Jefferson St NE, Cambridge, MN.  Visitation one hour prior to the service.

Memorials to Nature Conservancy and Joy Lutheran Church. 

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