Wilbert Edward "Wib" Reinking joined our Lord on April 14, 2020 after a brief illness. Born in Fort Wayne, he was the youngest son of the late Martha (nee Bieberich) and William Reinking. He eagerly served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, and was on the U.S.S. Butler off the coast of Normandy on D-Day. He has been featured in several newspaper articles about U.S. veterans. After the war, he earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and married Nyra Ruckman in 1950. He worked as a civil engineer in Toledo, Ohio, for two years, then in Fort Wayne where he permanently settled. After retirement, he loved helping friends and relatives, and traveling to California, Texas and Colorado to visit his children and their families. He frequently volunteered in numerous capacities. He was a member of the North Scipio United Methodist Church in Harlan. He was a regular blood donor for decades, a daily fixture at the YMCA and had been a member of the American Legion Post 47 and its Honor Guard. He treasured his veteran Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
He is survived by children Sandy (Paul) Leinhos of Dallas, TX; Debra (Peter Rothschild) Reinking of Aptos, CA, Mark Reinking of Mason, OH and Dawn Reinking of Plainfield, IN; eight grandchildren, two great grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by wife Nyra in 2007; brothers Alvin, Lester, and Norman Reinking; and sisters Lucile Bunt and Marcella Kelble. A blood drive held in his memory in July 2020 yielded 45 donors and 117 units of lifesaving products. A memorial service is planned at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 26, 2021 at North Scipio United Methodist Church, 26238 IN-37, Harlan, IN 46743. Preferred memorials are to North Scipio United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 111, Harlan, IN 47273 or Honor Flight Northeast Indiana https://www.hfnei.org. Blood donations in his honor are also welcomed.
