Reynold Frederick Stelloh, Jr., died September 19, 2014, at his home in Solomons, MD, as a result of Alzheimer’s Disease and its complications.
Born May 28, 1926 in St. Louis, MO, Ren was the eldest child of Reynold Frederick and Genevieve Myers Stelloh. A graduate of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran School and then Roosevelt High School in 1944, Ren became one of only 2,100 Aviation Midshipmen, a US Navy program that combined college with flight instruction. He earned the Naval Aviator’s wings of gold and embarked on a 20-year career with the US Navy. His decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, earned for heroism during the Korean War. As a private contract pilot after retiring from the Navy, Ren flew an additional million-plus miles in Grumman Gulfstream II, III and IV aircraft. Ultimately, he flew in over 50 different type/model/series of fixed-wing aircraft. Along the way, he also earned an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley.
The epitome of a renaissance man, Ren was the constant tinkerer, and his interests ranged from repairing car engines to hand-crafting musical instruments, including hammered dulcimers, a clavichord, and a rackett. An avid fan of “Faded Cactus Blossoms” and the music of station WTNT (Tromp and Truck) whilst growing up in St. Louis, Ren’s love of music later turned toward the glorious music of Johann Sebastian Bach. He and his wife, Bee, traveled extensively throughout the United States and around the world to hear Bach’s compositions dedicated to the glory of God.
Ren’s childhood sweetheart and wife of 63 years, Bernice Louise Brunkhorst Stelloh, died in 2012. Also preceding him in death are his sister, Dot Stelloh Belko and her husband Gene; his brother Bob Stelloh; and sisters- and brothers-in-law Marjorie Steinbrueck Stelloh, Denise Harang Stratton Stelloh, Harold and Alma Koerper Brunkhorst, Richard and Ruth Brunkhorst Raedeke, Ted and Linda Brunkhorst Damm, Elmer Brunkhorst, and Marie Brunkhorst Hahn. Survivors include sister Marty Stelloh Weber Spiro and her husband Dan, of Mesa, AZ; sisters-in-law Audrey Stelloh of Hendersonville, NC, and Mae Moeckel Brunkhorst Wiegert of St. Louis, MO; brother-in-law Roy Hahn of Lakeland, FL; children Ren III and Toni Clendenen Stelloh of Paso Robles, CA; Chris Stelloh-Garner and Bob Garner, of Huntingtown, MD; grandchildren Chris Stelloh and Erin Frisby, Tim Stelloh and Freda Moon, Chris and Meg Bartlett Garner, Eric and Stephanie McClevey Garner; great-grandchildren Benjamin Garner and Everett Elizabeth Garner; and a host of nieces and nephews.
A service of celebration will be on Monday, September 22nd at 4PM in Olivet United Methodist Church, 13575 Olivet Road, Lusby, MD. Should friends wish to support Ren’s musical or flying passion, these groups would gratefully accept donations sent in his honor: Washington Bach Consort, 1010 Vermont Ave NW, Ste 202, Washington, DC 20005, www.bachconsort.org; Flying Midshipmen Endowment Fund, USS Midway Museum, 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101, www.midway.org. Arrangements provided by Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD.