- Date Of Birth: September 2, 1948
- Date Of Death: January 29, 2019
- State: Indiana
William “Bill” Reeder, 70, of Fort Wayne, passed away on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, at his home.
Bill was a Fort Wayne native, born on September 2, 1948 to Hubert and Alline (Alt) Reeder. He graduated from North Side High School in 1966. He later attended and graduated from Fort Wayne Bible College with a BA degree in Biblical Studies and from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a BS in Engineering.
Bill was a man of profound faith and integrity. He was known for his pertinacious behavior, extensive vocabulary, use of multi-syllabic words, prodigious musical talent, and being a purveyor of quick, good-natured and profound wit. He was on a perpetual quest for what he truly wanted to be when he grew up. Along that journey, he served his country in the United States Army as a veteran of the Vietnam War and a Vietnamese translator. Bill spent his post-military career developing his skill as an Electrical Test Engineer while working at General Electric from 1966-1996, followed by Lockheed Martin, before retiring from BAE Systems in 2015.
As a young man, Bill developed a deep love for music, specifically Irish and Old Timey tunes. He was a gifted musician with the ability to play numerous instruments, including the Uilleann bagpipes, guitar, banjo, fiddle, whistle, and more. Playing music was his passion and he thoroughly enjoyed his music sessions and the friendships that were built over the years. Beginning in 1983, Bill played and organized the musical entertainment for the Johnny Appleseed Festival and continued doing so for many years. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Tri State Music Festival. Over the years, you could find him playing various St. Patrick’s Day gigs around town. More recently, you could find him enjoying his retirement, jamming out with his music buddies during their weekly sessions at JK O’Donnell’s and the 3 Rivers Co-op.
Bill shared his life, his love, his faith and his fondness of music with his children, grandchildren and his loving and devoted wife of 21 years, Connie (Gray) Reeder, whom he married on July 5, 1997. Bill and Connie shared a bond in music, a loving friendship, and created a beautiful life together. It is through Bill’s children, grandchildren and Connie that his legacy will live on.
Bill is survived by his wife Connie Reeder; his father Hubert Reeder, Jr.; his first wife Martha (Alter) Reeder and their six children; Thomas (Missy) Reeder, Daniel (Jackie) Reeder, Jeffrey (Mary) Reeder, Susanna Reeder, Jessica (Luke) Stroh and Elizabeth (Andrew) Roth; two step-daughters, Shellie Williams and Jodie (Tom) Lannan; a brother, James (Rebecca) Reeder; a sister, Melody Reeder; 24 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Alline Alt; step-mother, Barbara Reeder; brother, Paul Reeder; sister, Kathleen Reeder Grubb; and step-son, Larry Halt, Jr.
