Ronald Martin Reinknecht

Ronald “Opa” Reinknecht, age 82, passed away peacefully at the VNANNJ Hospice located at St. Clare’s Hospital in Dover, NJ on Sunday, January 19th. The eldest of four children born of immigrant parents, Fred and Anna (Stohrer) Reinknecht on February 8, 1938, Ronald grew up in Hoboken and Wood-Ridge with his siblings Fred, Shirley, and James, graduating from Wood-Ridge High School, working for many years growing up on fishing boats and other odd jobs to help support the family. Ronald enlisted in the United States Army Reserves upon graduation from high school and was honorably discharged in 1963.

Ronald met his beloved wife of 56 years, Carole (Kot), when she was a junior in high school. Married in 1963, they lived in Carlstadt, NJ where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree at night from Fairleigh Dickenson University, building a home in Frankford Township in 1974 where Carole and he raised their sons, Michael and David. Carole and Ronald lived in Frankford Township until his death on Sunday. Ronald worked as a computer programmer for Jacob Brothers, Celanese Corporation, McDonnell-Douglas, and EDS until his retirement about 15 years ago. Ronald often commuted long miles to support the family, traveling often, always returning home with small but memorable souvenirs for his sons, and served as Little League coach and Boy Scout leader for many years. Ronald is survived by his wife, Carole; elder son, Michael and his wife, Wendy and their two children, Christopher and Casey, to whom he was known as “Opa;” younger son, David and his wife, Cindy; youngest brother, James and his wife, Pat, of Maryland; as well as nine nieces and nephews and their beautiful families. Ronald was preceded by his parents, Fred and Anna Reinknecht; niece, Susan LaForgia; brother, Fred Reinknecht; sister and brother-in-law, Shirley (Reinknecht) and Eugene “Oggie” LaForgia; and nephew, Joey LaForgia. Ronald was a friend of Bill W. for over 40 years, amassing a large friendship group in Newton and the surrounding areas over many years. A dedicated grandfather, Opa provided daycare to Christopher and Casey after his retirement, appearing most days with trademark Smiley Face cookies from the Yellow Cottage Bakery in Branchville. He operated “Opa’s Taxi Service” for many years, running Christopher and Casey to nursery school and other places. He and Carole took the grandkids (and their parents) to Wildwood Crest for several years, enjoying weeklong vacations. Always valuing time with family, Ron and Carole took a dream cruise to Alaska with David and Cindy in 2015, enjoying the sights, excursions, and building many happy memories. A lifelong avid fisherman, Ronald enjoyed deep-sea fishing excursions for his entire life and most recently enjoyed a chartered fishing trip in August with Michael, David, and Christopher. As Ronald requested, one visitation will be held this Saturday, January 25, 2020, at Smith McCracken Funeral Home, 63 High Street, Newton, NJ, from 11AM-2PM, with a repast to follow for any visitors who would care to join the family for a meal. Cremation will follow and interment will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at https://www.jdrf.org/donate/ or the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at https://alzfdn.org/. Online condolences may be offered at www.smithmccrackenfuneralhome.com.