John Reitsma

LANCASTER, PA - John Reitsma, went home to be with his Lord on Friday, Nov. 7th, 2008, in the Heart of Lancaster Hospital. Born in Paterson, N.J., he was the son of the late John and Lillian M. (Brower) Reitsma. Mr. Reitsma graduated from Rochelle Park and Hackensack, N.J. schools, Bergen Junior College in Teaneck, N.J., Newark College of Engineering in Newark, N.J. (BSME), and attended Nyack College in Nyack, N.Y. He was active in First Baptist Church of Hackensack as a choir member and sang in a male quartet. While at Bergen Junior College and Newark College of Engineering, he obtained his private pilot license and learned aerobatics under the government's Civil Pilot Training Program. He obtained his flight instructor license in Rochester, N.Y. He instructed Navy Aviation cadets in the Navy's V-5 program in Ogdensburg, N.Y., and taught Navy instructors-in-training in Bloomsburg, Pa. He then enlisted as an Aviation Cadet in the Army Air Corps and "won his wings" and flew B-26 Marauders. He continued flying in the Active Reserve until 1951. He also had his private pilot's license and enjoyed flying his small plane. After obtaining his BSME, he was a Test Engineer on experimental aircraft engines at Wright Aeronautical Corp, Wood-Ridge, N.J. for seven years. He then became a Senior Engineer at Curtiss-Wright Electronics Division, East Paterson, N.J., building flight simulators. The family moved to Delaware in 1964. He worked as Engineer and Reliability Engineer on Apollo and Shuttle space suits at ILC-Dover in Dover and Frederica, and Quality and Reliability Engineer for sonar arrays at Gould in Glen Burnie, Md. He retired from ILC-Dover as Chief Reliability Engineer in 1987 and then worked part time as a consultant. He was an active member of Faith Community Church of Camden, where he served as Church Treasurer for 36 years. John was a member of the Delaware Professional Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He was preceded in death by a brother, Douglas B. Reitsma; and a sister, Lillian S. Reitsma. Surviving are his wife of 57 years, Dorothy M. (Huntley) Reitsma; a son, Kenneth and wife Lisa Reitsma, of Pahrump, Nev.; a daughter, Janet and husband Daryl Leisey, of Lititz, Pa.; four grandchildren, Christopher and wife Schelly Reitsma, of Phoenix, Ariz., Melissa Leisey, David Leisey, and Eric Leisey all of Lititz, Pa.; and a sister, Lois Reitsma Weidencamp of Toms River, N.J. A private viewing and burial will be at the convenience of the family. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a Memorial Service at Faith Community Church, 2240 S. DuPont Hwy., Camden, Del., on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. Contributions may be made in John's memory to The Gideons International, Box 56, Harrington, DE, 19952. Arrangements by the Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home Inc., 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA 17543, (717) 560-5100. To send an online condolence, please visit www.snyderfuneralhome.com.