John Reiner, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, entered eternal rest on Oct. 12 at the age of 77.
Mr. Reiner, who was born in Manhattan, N.Y., on March 6, 1948, grew up in Rahway, N.J. He is predeceased by his parents, Norman Place Reiner and Marion Karanicola Reiner.
When his family moved to Iselin, N.J., Mr. Reiner enlisted in the U.S. Army and served honorably on active duty in Germany. During his military service, he earned multiple medals, awards, and decorations for rifle, missile, and military proficiency, and he was honorably discharged at the rank of sergeant (E5).
He was a proud life member of American Legion Post 0256 and VFW Post 12135, both in New Jersey and Tellico.
In New Jersey, Mr. Reiner attended the Newark College of Engineering while working at Honeywell. He retired after 20 years and later became a partner at Industrial Systems Inc. He went on to work as a sales account manager for ADT Security Services. Upon his final retirement in 2015, Mr. Reiner moved to Vonore, where he became a loyal Tennessee Vols fan and enjoyed fishing, woodcarving, and gardening.
Mr. Reiner was a longtime member of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Madisonville, where he held several roles in Knights of Columbus Council 15585. In New Jersey, he served as Grand Knight of Council 6245 at Immaculate Conception Parish in Clinton, N.J.
Affectionately known as “Foxy,” he also served as council commissioner from 2005–2008 with the Central New Jersey Council of the Boy Scouts of America and as Scoutmaster of Troop 92 in Lebanon Township, N.J. Among his most cherished honors were the Order of the Arrow Vigil Honor and the Wood Badge Award.
Mr. Reiner also was active in the Rahway and Clinton Jaycees and past president of the New Jersey JCI Senate. He put his heart into his years of service with the Jaycees, Boy Scouts, and the Knights of Columbus. His warmth, service, and witty humor will be deeply missed by the many friends and neighbors whose lives he touched.
Mr. Reiner is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Susan (Karaman) Reiner of Vonore; his daughter, Jennifer Reiner of Whitehall, Pa.; his son, Eric Reiner of Charleston, S.C.; two grandsons, Matthew Figueroa of Florida and Gavin Reiner of North Carolina; and five nieces and nephews.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Reiner was held at St. Joseph the Worker Church on Nov. 3, followed by a military service at the church led by the U.S. Army VFW Post 5156 and American Legion Post 106.
Donations in Mr. Reiner’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 Saint Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 (stjude.org), the American Cancer Society (donate.cancer.org), or the Boy Scouts of America, Great Smoky Mountain Council (donations.scouting.org).