Ulrich “Uli” Reichel, 76, of Cold Spring and formerly of Ossining, died Nov. 9 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital, surrounded by family members.
He was born in Austria on May 25, 1945, the youngest child of Rosalie Stolberg. He was raised by his mother in post-World War II Butzbach, Germany. They immigrated in 1961 to the U.S., where Ulrich attended Ossining High School and met a lifelong friend, Jeffrey Masarek.
Together, they went on to serve in the U.S. Army; Ulrich was stationed in Munich, Germany, at Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division. In infantry reconnaissance, he received medals for good conduct and national defense service, and another for his assignment to patrol the Berlin Wall in West Berlin.
After his honorable discharge, Ulrich returned to Ossining and married Karen Ingersoll. At the start of their marriage, Ulrich was hired by Gerber Products Co. and the couple welcomed two daughters. He went on to enjoy a 41-year career with Gerber.
Ulrich later met and married Barbara Rollins. They were together for 30 years.
A special blessing that Ulrich enjoyed was a shared love of classical music with his granddaughter, Christina. As she found herself going down the path to a career in voice and opera studies, together they discussed European repertoire, composers and operas — most notably Mahler, Mozart and Strauss. German diction was often a topic at our table. Seeing her performances and hearing her voice was nothing short of a miracle for him, and he encouraged her, going forward, at every opportunity, his family said.
Ulrich enjoyed bowling and swimming, and was a lifelong fan of the Jets and Rangers.
Throughout his days, Ulrich kept his circle small and tight, his family said. Although he presented with a tough shell on the outside, if you understood him, you knew that he was all about love.
Along with his wife, Ulrich is survived by his sisters, Ingrid Minarsch of Butzbach, Germany, and Helga Tuttle of Ossining; his daughter, Christa Grohowski (Ronald) of Walden; his daughter, Stephanie Reichel of Jacksonville, Florida; his granddaughter, Christina Grohowski of Walden; and his friend, Jeffrey Masarek (Barbara) of Charlotte, North Carolina.
