Ben Reese, 86
Ben Reese, 86, peacefully passed away in Sandpoint, Idaho, on Aug. 27, 2016.
Funeral Mass will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church with Father Dennis C. Day officiating. The Rosary will be said at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Inurnment will take place at a later time in the Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake, Wash.
Ben was born in Dallas, Texas, on April 5, 1930. He attended school in Texas, New Mexico, and California, and graduated from high school in San Diego, Calif. Ben enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1947. He served in Korea in 1951-1952 and was discharged from the Marine Corps in 1955. He entered the Air Force and was stationed in Washington, Mississippi, Massachusetts, and California. He retired from the Air Force in 1967. During the Cold War, he served as a radar technician aboard the radar early warning aircraft at Otis Air Force Base in Massachusetts.
He met and married Elizabeth Shultz while they were both stationed in San Diego at the Marine base in 1952. He and his wife, Elizabeth celebrated 63 years of marriage on Dec. 19, 2015.
Upon his retirement from the Air Force, the family moved to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. After working in Coeur d’Alene and living in the Rose Lake area for four years, Ben was hired by the state of Idaho and the family moved to Boise. He was later transferred by the state back to Coeur d’Alene. Ben maintained communications equipment for the state agencies in the Idaho Panhandle. He took early retirement in 1981 and then went to work for the U.S Forest Service. There, he maintained communications equipment in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests until 1990, when he again retired.
He and his wife traveled extensively with their motor home throughout the U.S. and Canada. Highlights of their travels was a motor home trip to Inuvik, North West Territories; a trip to Korea; and a German freighter trip around the world in 80 days for their 50th anniversary. Ben was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Sandpoint. His favorite expressions were “Things always work out” and “Time takes care of everything.”
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; and their three children, Karla of Coeur d’Alene; Michael and his wife, Laurie, of the Martin Bay area; and Theresa of Sagle, Idaho; his grandchildren: Jessica, Vanessa, and Nicholas; a great-grandson, Zachariah; and his great-granddaughters, Vanessa and Kennedy of western Washington; and numerous cousins in Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Annie Reese; and his sister, Margaret Adams of California.
Family and friends are invited to sign Benjamin’s online guest book at www.coffeltfuneral.com.
Arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service of Sandpoint.