Calvin Leroy Reter was born on May 8, 1930 in Owings Mills, MD to the late William Henry Reter and Susie Rebecca (Gill) Reter. The Lord called him home on January 25, 2020.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Mary Elizabeth ‘Betty’ (Schutte) Reter; children Vicki (Reter) Yarnell and husband Pat, Bradley Reter and wife Kathy, Suzanne (Reter) Brown and husband John; grandchildren Sheena (Yarnell) Housman, Sean Yarnell, Shannon Yarnell, Joseph Reter, Andrew Reter, Kristina Brown, Kevin Brown; sister of Nancy (Reter) Stocksdale. Also survived by eight great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by brother James E. Reter.
Calvin was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend to everyone.
Funeral service will be Friday, January 31, 2020 10am at the Eline Funeral Home, 11824 Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown. Interment Evergreen Memorial Gardens. Friends may call Thursday, January 30, 2020 3:00 to 5:00pm and 7:00 to 9:00pm at the funeral home.
If desired, contributions may be made to the Reisterstown Volunteer Fire Dept., 108 Main Street, Reisterstown, MD 21136 or Glyndon Volunteer Fire Dept., 4812 Butler Road, P.O. Box 3671, Glyndon, MD 21071.
TAMI'S TRIBUTE TO HER UNCLE CALVIN...
The eldest of three children, Calvin Reter, the son of William and Susie (Gill) Reter, grew up working alongside his parents and siblings in the grocery business. They literally lived above and eventually next to the store they operated. He was raised to be an active member of his community, as demonstrated by his parents before him.
Mr. Reter and his wife, Betty, raised three wonderful children, who grew up learning their parents' industrious ways. When still a young man, Calvin joined his father and volunteered as a fireman with the Glyndon Volunteer Fire Department in 1946. In those days, he recently recalled, one didn’t receive all the training available today, but only had to jump on the truck before it pulled out from the station, to protect their neighbors' homes and businesses from fire. When the siren sounded, you could see Calvin and his father stride across the road to respond as quickly as possible. Eventually his nephew and son joined him as volunteers. He was honored in 2012 with 65 years of service as a Life Member of the Glyndon Volunteer Fire Department.
Calvin served many positions over the years, including as President of the Glyndon Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Reter also served as President of the Maryland Classified Employees Association. He served with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a Forest Ranger for 22 years, protecting our Maryland forests. He visited many elementary schools to educate children on fire safety and how to protect our forests often changing into the Smokey Bear suit to hand out pine seedlings to be planted. It was not unusual for him to done the Smokey Bear suit and preside over local parades which earned him the nickname “Smokey.” He served as a member of Carroll County General Health Services Inc. He also served with the Reisterstown-Owings Mills-Glyndon Coordinating Council, an umbrella group of area organizations. Within the last ten years, Mr. Reter was Reisterstown Senior Center’s Council President. He was an active participant in local and state politics, vocally advocating for the betterment of the community.
He took over the Reter’s Market Glyndon grocery business when his father retired, offering the same excellent customer service, including traditions of door to door delivery and monthly grocery tabs. When Mr. Reter closed Reter's Market, he replaced it with Reter's Crab House in Glyndon. Eventually, Mr. Reter's son, Brad would take over the business and relocate to the Landmark Shopping Center in Reisterstown. Calvin especially enjoyed working with Brad and his staff, serving as a host on busy weekends, striking up conversations and friendships with the patrons.
Mr. Reter started a group called "Old Timers" with the objective of preserving and sharing local history of the Owings Mills and Reisterstown area. Having spent his entire life in the area, Mr. Reter's ancestors stretch back a long way, with his people being from the Greenspring Valley. He and his siblings and their double cousins met monthly for lunch, his parents' descendants gather every year for Christmas breakfast, his mother's extended Gill family gathers yearly, and until recently his father's extended Reter family held bi-annual reunions.
History, community service and family are the hallmark of Calvin Reter's legacy. I pray he is remembered, honored and celebrated for a long time to come. We indeed have huge shoes to fill. Our prayers of comfort go out to Calvin’s wife Betty, daughters Vicki Yarnell, her husband Pat, and Suzanne Brown and her husband John, son Brad Reter and his wife Kathy, their children and grandchildren, as well as Calvin’s sister Nancy Stocksdale. His brother, James Reter passed just over two years ago.