His lifelong passion for Pittsburgh sports began when he was born in Pittsburgh, PA to Phillip and Ann Reinsel on April 19, 1944. When not trudging up and down many hills, through rain and snow to deliver The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a young paper delivery boy, he could be found playing all kinds of sports - basketball, baseball, cross-country, and track being his favorites. He and his friends used to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play at Forbes Field for free by waiting until the 7th inning for entry. One of Jim’s most cherished memories was witnessing the Immaculate Reception at Three Rivers Stadium with his wife Janet, father in law Mike and brother in law Mike when the Steelers defeated the Raiders in the AFC divisional playoff in 1972. Many years later, Jim and Janet made the pilgrimage to Canton, OH to see Jerome Bettis be inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.
While Jim’s dream of being a coach for the Steelers never quite materialized, he did find tremendous satisfaction and purpose being a social worker with the state of Maryland for more than 30 years. With experience in social psychology, sociology, public health, and health care delivery systems and issues, Jim set out to change the world and make it a better place for people with disabilities. He finished out his career at the Maryland Department of Disabilities as the Director of Research and Evaluation. He excelled in this position as he worked with numbers, statistics, and fiscal notes. Jim would patiently wait for a response from colleagues after posing the question, “What story does your data tell?” In retirement, he worked as a consultant with the Freedom Center, a nonprofit dedicated to individuals with disabilities to live independently, pursue meaningful goals, and have the same opportunities and choices as all persons. Jim received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Pittsburgh, his Masters in Social Work from West Virginia University, and his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University School of Social Work.
In June of 1966, Jim was going for a walk on Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh when he spotted a lovely, young nursing student named Janet Magdic. As they were both approaching the water fountain, Jim noticed that Janet was wearing a watch and asked her the time. And being a gentleman, he walked her back to her dorm. Their first date was a Pirates game at Forbes Field, where Jim bought them $1 tickets and $0.50 hot dogs. After the game, they went to the Pancake Kitchen. Jim was impressed by Janet’s baseball knowledge and Janet was impressed by his kindness and that he was a true gentleman. They got married on August 24, 1968 in McKeesport, PA - according to family lore, it was one of the hottest days ever in all of Pittsburgh history.
Jim and Janet welcomed a daughter, Kara, in March of 1975. He was so happy to become a father and called his Kara his “pink baby” because of her pink skin. Jim was a girl dad before it was ever a hashtag. Jim would read stories to Kara every night, often falling asleep, and Kara could be heard from the other room saying “Daaadddy, wake up. Can you read me another story?” When Janet was working on the weekend, Jim and Kara would spend hours at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (aka the Elephant Museum) and cap off the visit with lunch at the cafeteria. Jim coached Kara’s softball and basketball teams, passing on the importance lane slides, boxing out, and keeping your eye on the ball to the next generation.
In retirement, Jim and Janet traveled extensively visiting many national parks including Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Glacier, the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce. They spent winters in The Villages, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather. During the summer, they enjoyed many vacations in Cape May,NJ and Bethany Beach, DE. Jim continued to play softball well into his seventies and never stopped analyzing and refining his swing. A lifelong reader, Jim spent many afternoons reading books about World War II and Civil War history. Nothing made him happier than a book thick with maps, footnotes, and endnotes which he would read in their entirety.
Jim is survived by his wife Janet Magdic Reinsel, his daughter Kara Reinsel, son in law Mike Bowman, granddog Fox, his brother John Reinsel, sister in law Sandy Reinsel, nephew Chris Reinsel, niece Sarah Reinsel Brucker, brother in law Mike Magdic, sister in law Kathy Magdic, nephews Matt Magdic and Mike Magdic, and countless friends.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Special Olympics of Maryland - https://www.somd.org
Family will receive friends at Witzke Funeral Homes, Inc., 5555 Twin Knolls Rd., Columbia, MD 21045 on Saturday, November 7, 2020, from 1 to 4pm, followed by a private service for the family at 4:30pm.
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