Mr. Phillip Reiland

Shreveport, LA- Philip Leonard Reiland, Sr., passed away on November 11, 2014 at the age of 82 after suffering a stroke several months before. Services for Phil will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 15, 2014 in the chapel of Centuries Memorial Funeral Home. Officiating will be Reverend Willis Dear. Interment will follow in Centuries Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, November 14, 2014 in the chapel of Centuries Memorial Funeral Home.

Phil was born on September 17, 1932 in the same house his father was born, on a farm near Randolph, Nebraska. For the first eight years of his education he attended a one room school house in the country, the same school his father attended. He graduated from Randolph Public High School in 1949 and then attended the University of Nebraska, graduating in 1953 with a BS in Business Administration. He was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the USAF Reserve. He served 4 years active duty from 1954 until 1958, serving a year in Korea and 3 years at Chanute AFB, Illinois. He went into the active reserves in 1958 and began his civilian career with the C&NW Railroad in Green Bay, WI. In 1960, Phil moved his family to Omaha, NE to work for Western Electric, continuing to also serve in the Air Force Reserves at Offutt AFB. In 1966, Phil was promoted to accounting supervisor and transferred to the new telephone manufacturing plant in Shreveport, LA. He was one of the first Western Electric employees to arrive here, working at the pilot plant on Hollywood Ave. until the facilities opened on Mansfield Road. Phil worked for Western Electric until his retirement in 1987. He also continued serving with the 917th Wing at Barksdale AFB until he retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel.

Phil was a member of Christ United Methodist Church where he served as an usher from 1966 until he moved to the Oaks of Louisiana in 2012. He was a Life Member of the Telephone Pioneers serving as treasurer and newsletter editor for several years. He was a permanent member of the American Legion in Randolph, NE and a member of the Military Officers Association of America.

Daddy loved sports, especially his favorite Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Green Bay Packers and the New York Yankees.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur August Reiland and Elsie Elizabeth McDonald Reiland, his wife, Joan Warner and an infant daughter, Anne Elizabeth.

Phil is survived by his daughter, Mary Flanders and husband Michael of Shreveport; son, Phil Jr., and his wife Nancy Wells of Bossier City. He is also survived by grandchildren, Travis Owen and wife Cyndi of Shreveport, Laura Sutterer and husband Nick of Saginaw, TX, David Reiland and wife Lowery of Dallas, TX and Benjamin Reiland of Irving, TX. Phil was fortunate to live to hold his great grandchildren, Jude and Mary Beth Owen, Abby Sutterer and August Reiland.

Serving as pallbearers will be: Michael Flanders, Travis Owen, David Reiland, Ben Reiland, Nick Sutterer and Charles Wingo.

We would like to thank Mary Harris for her unending love and devotion to Daddy. She was his angel on earth and Daddy loved Ms. Mary very much. We would also like to thank the wonderful staff of The Oaks, especially Officer Wingo who was always there to pick Daddy up when he fell and make him laugh about it.

In lieu of flowers the family asks you honor Phil with a donation to Air Force Aid Society or Pet Savers.

You may share words of comfort with the family by visiting www.centuriesmemorialfh.com