Earl R. Reinhold

Earl R. Reinhold passed away on August 11, 2016 after a short illness, with his loving family at his side. He was 86 years wise. Born in Philadelphia on October 27, 1929, Earl was the older of two sons of the late Earl W. and Alice (Sokolowski) Reinhold. Earl grew up in Camden, New Jersey and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1947 where he excelled academically, especially in the sciences. He was the first in his family to attend college, receiving a B.S. in Chemistry from Ursinus College in 1951. He was a 57 year resident of Levittown and he and his late wife, Barbara, raised their family there. Earl was a lifelong learner who as a child spent many hours in the libraries of Camden, and later at the Free Library of Philadelphia and the private library at the Franklin Institute. It was not uncommon for Earl to walk over the Ben Franklin Bridge to visit these institutions and it is there that he discovered his love of science. In particular, Earl found a passion in chemistry, which led to his long professional career as a research chemist, first at Amchem Products in Ambler and later at Betz Laboratories in Trevose. Earl was an inventor and was responsible for many patents that are still in use today, primarily in the metal coatings industry. Even after retirement, Earl continued to work on one of his patents, 101 Meter, for clients around the world. Earl’s work for Amchem offered him the opportunity to travel the world, most notably numerous times to Russia in the 1970’s. Earl was also a dedicated family man. He will be remembered for his role as a Boy Scout leader for Troop 114 and scorekeeper for the Middletown Township Girls Softball League. Summers were spent at Langhorne Country Club where he and his wife supported his daughters and others in swimming and diving events. After retirement, Earl and his wife enjoyed many summers at their vacation home in Cape May, NJ. Earl was a devoted Phillies fan and was able to attend World Series games in 1980 and 2008. Earl had a love of the outdoors. He hiked the Horse-Shoe Trail and portions of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. He also enjoyed canoeing and kayaking in the Delaware River and other local waterways with boats made by hand with his father and brother. Earl was preceded in death by wife, Barbara (Gladfelter) Reinhold, who was literally the “girl next door”. He is survived by his children, Steven (Dorice) Reinhold, Jeffrey (Kathie) Reinhold, Judith Downing, and Nancy (Thomas) Bedesem. Earl is also survived by his loving grandchildren: Ashley Reinhold, T.J. Bedesem, Tess Reinhold and Callie Downing. Graveside services will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 11:00 AM at the Newtown Cemetery, 22 South Elm Avenue, Newtown, PA. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations in Earl’s name to a non-profit of the donor’s choice that supports organ transplant services. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Earl R. Reinhold, please visit our flower store.