William Rufus Reitzell ’34

Bill Reitzell, a victim of Parkinson's disease for the past several years, died Dec. 1, 1998, "peacefully in his sleep," according to Hank Miller, his first cousin, in the hospital in Worcester, Mass. Bill had lived in Worcester since shortly after he was mustered out of the Army as a major in 1946.

In Worcester he worked for State Mutual Life Insurance Co. out of the home office. In 1974 he chose early retirement, and "since then," as he wrote in our 50th-year book, "I've done volunteer work, part-time selling, studied languages, and done the usual travel, reading, tennis, etc....One nice thing about getting older is not wanting all the things you couldn't afford when you were young."

Ten years later, because of the Parkinson's, he wrote, "No more driving, volunteer work, traveling, etc."

Bill was married in 1940 to Dorothy "Dot" Garrett (Smith '35), whom he met in India when he worked there for Standard-Vacuum Oil Co. She survives, as do a daughter, Dorothy "Bunny" Willner; a son, William R. Jr., and five grandchildren. To them we offer our sincere sympathies.

The Class of 1934