Obituary: John Riedl, 83, Ludington.

Obituary: John Riedl, 83, Ludington.

John B. Riedl, 83, of Ludington, died Thursday, September 13, 2018, at MediLodge of Ludington.

John Baptist Riedl III was born March 3, 1935 in Chicago, Ill., the son of John B. and Ilona (Schmidt) Riedl II. He moved to Ludington with his parents in 1945. He grew up and went to school in Ludington, graduating from Ludington High School in 1953. In school, he was interested in sports, participating in the elementary track and field days and serving as student manager of the high school football team. He was also interested in drawing and art, which he followed later in life. As a teenager, he helped his father in his machine shop, learning much about the trade. He also spent many of his summers working on his grandparents’ farm near Ruby Creek.

After graduating, he worked for his father at his machine shop until he enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1954. He completed his service training at Fort Leonardwood, Mo. and Atlanta, Ga, before being sent overseas to Germany in March 1955 where he served as a machinist. After his discharge in August 1957, he returned to the Midwest, moving to Lake Geneva, Wis. where his parents resided. The family later moved to Lake Mills, Wis. He enrolled in Tri-State College, Angola, Ind. to pursue a degree in drawing and design.

In the summer of 1960, John met his future wife, Marion Irene Kleist, in Lake Mills, Wis. while she was there on a family summer vacation. The couple were married July 1, 1961 in Rome, N.Y., her hometown. After Marion’s college graduation in 1962 in Albany, N.Y., the couple moved to Angola, Ind., and John finished his college degree in drawing and design at Tri-State University. In 1963, they moved to Hastings, Mich. where he worked as a layout and design draftsman for the E.W. Bliss Company.

The couple adopted two children, John Charles and Katrina Louise and lived in Hastings until 1969 when they moved to Wyoming, Mich. They resided there until moving to Ludington in July 1971.

John began his employment with Jackson Vibrators Inc. (later named Pandrol Jackson and then Harsco) in August 1971 as a layout and design draftsman. Most of his work was done as a designer of new products. In November 1998, he retired as a senior mechanical designer.

He was involved in Girl Scouting with his wife, serving in various volunteer capacities including cookie chairman, assistant troop leader, and on the Little House building committee in Ludington.

In the mid-1980s, he began to pursue his hobby of drawing and painting, taking up the medium of oils to render his landscape and seascape scenes using his own photographs. He enjoyed exhibiting his works at area arts and crafts shows and galleries. He was a member of Ludington Area Center for the Arts and the former West Shore Art League. He was also a former member of Edwin H. Ewing Post 76, The American Legion. He enjoyed gardening, the outdoors, camping and traveling.

John is survived by his wife, Marion; a son, John Charles Riedl (and Gary Burdon) of Ann Arbor; a daughter, Katrina Louise (and Jim) Harris, of Troy; three grandchildren, Riley, Karly and Tyler; a sister, Linda Phillips of Ludington; sister-in-law, Caroline (and Ronald) Drake of Salisbury Center, N.Y.; two brothers-in-law, Richard (and Stephanie) Kleist of Gloversville, N.Y., and William (and Claudia) Kleist of Salisbury Center, N.Y.; a sister-in-law, Mary Lee Kleist of Muskogee, Okla., nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, many dear friends, and his faithful pal, Gizzmo.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Ilona; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Charles and Irene Kleist, a brother-in-law, Charles Kleist, and his grandparents.

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Saturday, September 15, 2018, at Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, Pere Marquette Chapel, 309 S. Washington Avenue, Ludington.  Visitation will be held Friday, September 14, 2018, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., at the funeral home.

Memorials may be directed to the Community Foundation for Mason County/ memo line: Ludington Area Arts Council Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 10, Ludington, Michigan.

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

www.beaconfh.com