George J. Reichl Sr.

George Joseph Reichl Sr., 100, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, with his son, daughter-in-law, and their good friend at his side. George grew up on the north side of Chicago where he attended Lane Tech High School, enjoyed playing on the soccer team, and graduated in 1944, enlisting in the Army shortly thereafter. He was a WWII veteran, serving as a Private First Class infantryman in General Patton's 3rd Army (90th Batallion) and earning a Purple Heart during his service.

Upon returning home from WWII, in 1946 George met Helen Peterson at Lincoln Lanes, and they married in 1950, after which he helped Helen's father build a home in Des Plaines, where he and Helen would raise their son, George Jr.

George Sr. attended Wright Jr. College and worked as a mechanical engineer for Croname and Admiral, ultimately designing small kitchen appliances for Sunbeam/Oster, from which he retired in 1993. George enjoyed fishing at Kohl's Last Resort in Bemidji, MN, and, for 45 years, enjoyed bowling in leagues with his son George Jr. at River Rand Bowl in Des Plaines and Beverly Lanes in Arlington Heights. George Sr. and Helen loved to travel, and visited 49 of the 50 United States (all except Alaska!) during their lifetimes.

George Sr. was a very devoted husband to Helen for 63 years (until her death in 2013), father to George (and Cathy), and grandpa to Sarah; uncle to Nancy Ford, Jack (Sharyl) Dobson, and Larry (Ruth) Bethscheider. He was preceded in death by his parents Peter and Marie (Wachter) Reichl.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Raul Arellano (and his family) who for 3 years so kindly and compassionately helped us care for Dad at home. Raul's patience and excellent attention to George Sr.'s needs made it possible for us to be blessed with Dad's presence in our home and in our lives. Ms. Connie Page was also an integral part of Dad's care during the past year, and worked closely with Raul to help Dad reach the 100-year mark. George's niece, Lisa, also helped us take care of Dad. Her flexibility, her calm and gentle demeanor, and her compassion for Dad were invaluable.

George's witty sense of humor, his easy-going nature, his great appetite (especially for sweets), and his ability to fix just about anything all remained evident even as he celebrated 100 years. He will be greatly missed, but we will cherish our memories of him forever.

Visitation will be Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at 12:00 p.m. at G.L. Hills Funeral Home, 745 Graceland Ave, Des Plaines. Interment to follow in Acacia Park Cemetery, Chicago. In lieu of flowers, donations to Lake County Honor Flight ( https://www.lakecountyhonorflight.org/waystogive ) in memory of George Sr. would be greatly appreciated. For further information, please call G.L. Hills Funeral Home at 847-699-9003 or visit www.glhillsfuneralhome.com .