Mary Elaine REINDL passed away of natural causes on Monday, May 9, 2022 at the grand age of 101, at Autumn View Gardens in Creve Coeur, Missouri. She was born October 12, 1920 to her parents Sterling and Anna (nee: Burde) Branham, in St. Joseph, Missouri. She and her husband, Hugo Reindl (deceased) celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on June 27, 2017 and were blessed with two children, David and Robert.
Her Father moved the family to St. Louis in order to take an accounting position with the Leacock's Sports Goods Company. Elaine, as she wanted to be called, attended St. Rita's Elementary School in Vinita Park, and then went on to graduate from Rosati Kane High School. After receiving a degree from Harris Teachers' College, she taught for several years in the St. Louis Public School System in Kindergarten and First Grade.
In 1958, as the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in what is know as "The Space Race", Elaine decided to use her extreme aptitudes in mathematics and writing and joined the team at McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company. Her position as a Technical Writer and Data Analyst proved to be challenging and satisfying to her professional life. She then decided to make a jump into the Engineering ranks by taking classes at the University of Missouri and St. Louis University, and was soon promoted to the position of Structural and Calibration Engineer. She had the opportunity to engage her skills in the Mercury, Gemini, and Phantom Jet projects that were going on at the time. She worked as the only woman engineer in her department at McDonnell Douglas.
After 24 years of service, Elaine retired in 1982 and decided to move to Springfield, Missouri to enjoy the good outdoor life the region had to offer. She enjoyed travelling to many areas of the world, taking fishing trips on the many lakes surrounding the Springfield area, and taught classes in reverse painting at the local high schools. Elaine is best known for her extreme love of reading. She could read, even in her later years, as many as three or more books a week. When she returned to St. Louis after her husband passed away in 2018, she lived at the Autumn View Assisted Living Community in Creve Coeur and was known as the "Book Lady".
A graveside service for Elaine will be held Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 1:30 PM at Greenmore Memorial Gardens, 21100 N Beacon Rd., Barnett, MO 65011.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.kriegshausermortuary.com for the REINDL family.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
v.1.9.5