Nicholas F. Reith

Nicholas "Nick" Frank Reith, 87, of Fort Wayne, passed away peacefully on Good Friday, April 3, 2026, at St. Anne's Home, surrounded by his loving family.

Born on July 7, 1938, in Kokomo, Nick was the second of seven children born to William and Mary Reith. He grew up on the family farm in Walnut Grove, where he developed a strong work ethic and a lifelong love of the land. He especially adored the pawpaw trees on his parents' property. A gifted athlete, he was a three-sport letterman in high school and a standout in basketball. He took great pride in holding the county's leading scorer to just two points when his team faced them in his senior year.

At the tender age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy and proudly served his country for three years aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42). As a jet mechanic, he helped keep naval aircraft flying during the early days of the jet age. While serving with the Sixth Fleet, he visited dozens of countries across the Mediterranean. Among his most treasured memories were serving Mass at Lourdes, France-where he was fully immersed in the healing waters of the spring revealed to Saint Bernadette by the Virgin Mary-and receiving the Eucharist from Pope Pius XII at Easter Mass in Rome in 1958.

Upon returning home, Nick spotted a beautiful brunette across the basketball court at a game in Arcola, Indiana. That chance meeting began a lifelong love story. He picked up Irene for their first date in his 1959 Pontiac Catalina, powered by a 389 V8 engine on which he had personally installed three two-barrel carburetors. He and Irene were married on August 25, 1962, and shared a devoted marriage of 63 years.

Nick proudly worked at Zollner Pistons as a foreman for 38 years. A devoted steward of the land, he planted and tended an asparagus patch, mulberry trees, countless walnut trees, and a cherished pear tree on the family property in Fort Wayne. These gardens became a living legacy of beauty on the same ground where he built their home with his own hands from the ground up in 1964.

He was a man of deep and abiding faith-a fiercely faithful Catholic who taught his children about the saints, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the power of the rosary. His constant, unwavering prayers for his children and family rivaled those of St. Monica. Together with Irene, he raised their family on that beloved property.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Rosemarie, and his son, Nicholas Jr.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years, Irene Reith; his children: Karen (Rod) McNelly, John (Sarah) Reith, Shari (Jerry) Straessle, Mary Jo (Bill) Parrish, and Jessica (John) Filutze; 33 beloved grandchildren; and 29 great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, April 8, 2026, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Sheets and Childs Funeral Home, HUntertown Chapel, 16830 Lima Road, Huntertown. A Catholic Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Vincent de Paul Church on Wallen Road in Fort Wayne, with visitation one hour prior. A gathering will follow immediately at the St. Vincent's Life Center.