William E. Reinthaler, 78, Clinton, formerly of Bloomington, died Saturday (July 6, 2013) at his family residence, after a lengthy illness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure.
A private family service will be at a later date. There will be no visitation. Calvert Funeral Home, Clinton, assisted the family with cremation rites. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the music program at Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington; Sound of Illinois Chorus, Bloomington; or Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Mich.
He was born Sept. 25, 1934, in Harrisburg, Pa., son of Robert F. and Martha Hainsey Reinthaler. He married Bernice E. Peterson on Sept. 2, 1956, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Dickinson, N.D.
Survivors include his wife, Bernice “Bee” Reinthaler; children, William J. (Olga) Reinthaler, Bret (Linda) Reinthaler, Jodi (Jon) Mrowiec and Wade (fiancee, Julia Thornton) Reinthaler; and 10 grandchildren, Tyler, Caroline, Noel, Miles, Byron, Elizabeth and Joseph Mrowiec; and Elise, Claire and Lukas Reinthaler.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Bob Reinthaler
He was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington.
Bill was a founding member of White Oak Duck Club. Bill was baptized by Dr. Harold Martin at Second Presbyterian Church. He sang in the church choirs directed by Dick Hoffland, where he developed his love of music. He graduated from Bloomington High School in 1952 and from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., as a music major and was a member of the Concert Choir. He earned his master’s degree in voice from the University of Denver. Bill served as the minister of music at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison, Wis., from 1957 to 1961.
He later joined his father in the family construction business in Bloomington. He was hired as a construction specialist at State Farm Insurance Cos. in 1986, and retired in 2002. Bill discovered the property where he, and with help from his father and sons, built his dream home in 1991 near Clinton Lake while morel mushroom hunting. He enjoyed his yard, garden, flowers, trees, birds, and all of God’s creation. His love of music ranged from Bach and Brahms to Vivaldi, blues and jazz, Barbershop music to the Canadian Brass. He had very strong conservative convictions. He was pro-life, a strong supporter of the U.S. Constitution and America’s founding principles.
