Robert Reising
1933 ~ 2024
Date of Death: October 5, 2024
In profound sadness, the staff of Veasley Funeral Home & Cremations, Inc. want to express our sincere condolences to the Reising family. Robert's earthly temple is now resting in the care of Veasley Funeral Home. Revelations 21:4 says, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death; nor sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." Be assured that in the days ahead you will surely gain strength from the memories of Mr. Robert Reising.
Sincerely,
Derrick Veasley ~ Director
Henry Veasley ~ Director
Pastor E.C. Maltbia ~ Chaplain
Robert William Reising, age 91, passed away October 5, 2024, surrounded by his loving family and friends. He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on May 9, 1933, to Bridget and Simon Reising and was the youngest of four children. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Jane; his brother, George; and his twin sister, Betty.
He attended Michigan State University after high school and was catcher on the 1954 Michigan State baseball team, where he was inducted into the University Sports Hall of Fame with his teammates, who took third place in the NCAA College World Series. He maintained close relationships with his teammates throughout 70 years of reunions, attending his last one in May of this year. He earned a Master of Arts in English from the University of Connecticut and a Doctorate in Education from Duke University, along with a number of post-doctoral certificates.
In 1961, Bob took the Defiance College baseball team to the College World Series during his first coaching job after college. This team was also inducted into the Baseball College Hall of Fame. He later was Head Baseball Coach at Duke University, Furman University, Tennessee Tech and the University of South Carolina. In 1966, he was named Coach of the Year for District 10 of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) as head coach of Fort Hays State College.
However, it wasn’t on the field that Bob found his greatest success. He was named Professor Emeritus of American Indian Studies, English and Education by the University of North Carolina at Pembroke after teaching there for 34 years. In 2002, he was inducted into the Order of the Pine Needle — the highest honor for people who have made a significant impact on their state and community — by Governor Michael F. Easley for service to the state of North Carolina.
He was a visiting professor for many colleges and universities and worked for the Saudi Arabian government at King Saud University as Director of the Center for European Language and Translations, where he traveled extensively throughout Egypt and Germany.
Dr. Reising came out of retirement to teach at the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, for five years, then retired a second time. He was then asked to assist with student athletes in the academic success program at the University of Central Arkansas, where he stayed for three years and then retired a third time.
Although he retired from university work at age 80, he continued on in his life’s work as an author and researcher, notably as a writer for the Central Arkansas publication 501 LIFE Magazine. In April of 2023, Dr. Reising was named Person of the Month by 501 LIFE, where he was a monthly contributor, providing the Celebrating Athletic Excellence content.
Combining his love for athletics and writing, Bob wrote many books, including co-authoring “Chasing Moonlight: The True Story of Field of Dreams’ Doc Graham.” “Chasing Moonlight” won many awards including Book of the Year by ForeWord Reviews and the Casey Award for baseball book of the Year. He was also recognized as the top authority on Jim Thorpe’s life, publishing “Jim Thorpe: Tar Heel,” and “Between Warring Worlds: Jim Thorpe, the Rest of the Story.”
Bob was a resident of Conway, Arkansas, a community that he loved, since 2010. There he was involved in the Conway Historical Society, the Romeos, First United Methodist Church, and various writer’s groups. He was a mentor to hundreds of aspiring writers during his teaching career and beyond. Despite his many career accomplishments, his favorite pastime was talking to people about their lives, their families, and their careers. He loved all people and knew no strangers.
His greatest love was his wife, Judy Lee Reising; his children, Paula Reising and John Reising; his grandchildren Brigitte McNairy (Rob), Bear Echols (Samantha), Luke, Jordan and Payton Ward; great-grandchildren Liza and Teddy Echols; nephew Frank Schreiner (Allison D. Witcher); and nieces Cindy Voghell and Lori Cipollone.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Moonlight Graham Scholarship fund for athletes at the University of Central Arkansas, by contacting Joan Shofner at jshofner@uca.edu or Paula Reising at paula.echols@gmail.com.
Celebration of life services will be held Saturday, November 2, 2024, 11:00am at First United Methodist Church, 1610 Prince St., Conway, Arkansas 72034.
Committal service and final resting place will be held at the First United Methodist Church Columbarium.