Gregory "Greg" Joe Reiman
March 16, 1948 — June 26, 2017
Gregory Joe Reiman spent his life serving his Savior, his family, his friends, and his customers. He was ushered into the arms of Jesus on June 26, 2017, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy. Visitation: 4:30 – 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 29, 2017, at the First Church of the Open Bible, Cedar Rapids. Services: 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 30, 2017, at the church. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, Cedar Rapids.
Greg was born on March 16, 1948, in Burlington, IA. He was the son of Stanley Louis and Betty Jean Gregory Reiman. After spending his early years in Oakville, Iowa (where he was MVP of the 8th grade basketball team), Greg moved to Morning Sun, Iowa, to live with his grandparents, Reece and Irene Gregory. During high school, Greg participated in football and wrestling. He graduated from Morning Sun High School in 1967.
After graduating from Southeastern Iowa Community College in West Burlington, Iowa, Greg attended the University of Northern Iowa. Greg received his bachelor’s degree from UNI in 1972 with a major in History.
While at UNI, Greg met and married Debra Schafer, daughter of Virgil and Alice Schafer of Onawa, Iowa. Their first son, Kirk, was born while they were still in Cedar Falls. After a couple of years, Greg and Deb moved their young family to Cedar Rapids, where their son Garth was born. In 1990, they moved to Mount Vernon, where they lived until they moved to their ‘Little House on the Trail’ in Cedar Rapids in 2014.
Greg was a man of deep, abiding faith. He accepted Jesus Christ as his savior in 1981 and cultivated a strong personal relationship with the Lord. He loved his church families, both at First Church of the Open Bible where he was currently a member and served as an usher and on the prayer team, and at First Assembly of God where he served on the board of deacons and as head usher. He and Deb also participated in couples Bible Study for nearly a decade, during which treasured friendships were made.
Greg was known around the area as “The Envelope Man”. For 38 years, he sold specialty envelopes to printers and companies large and small. Greg loved providing exceptional service to his customers and thoroughly enjoyed the ongoing relationships he developed with them; he considered them to be his friends. He retired from the Cenveo Corporation in 2015.
Greg enjoyed athletics throughout his life. In addition to his own athletic career in high school, he enjoyed being a bleacher dad for his sons and granddaughter. He became a fan of the Hawkeye wrestling and football teams. The family had season tickets to Hawkeye wrestling meets for decades, and would often travel together to the NCAA tournament. Greg also enjoyed biking, shooting, golfing, music of various genres, his John Deere riding mower, cars, Mountain Dew, ice cream, Cool Whip, and a good nap.
Family was very important to Greg. He was never happier than when he was surrounded by his sons and granddaughter, and he delighted in helping them. He was Mr. Fixit around all their homes, and he loved tackling home improvement projects on all the homes he and Deb shared; there were very few times he felt the need to call in an expert.
Greg and Deb loved to travel. They tried to take a trip each year when the boys were young. They also joined a couple of tours to Israel with friends from First Church of the Open Bible, took a self-planned trip to Germany, and traveled to both coasts with their sons and granddaughter—but they had just as much fun exploring places like Kansas and North Dakota as a couple. Greg’s love of history translated to an interest in anything that enabled him to learn something from the past.
Greg was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Reiman of Oakville, Iowa; father Stanley Reiman of Homosassa, Florida; grandparents Reece and Irene Gregory of Morning Sun, Iowa; and Joe and Della Reiman of Wapello, Iowa; parents-in-law, Virgil and Alice Schafer of Onawa, Iowa; and sister-in-law Mary Kuss of Steele, North Dakota.
Greg is survived by his wife of 45 years, Debra Reiman; sons Kirk Reiman and Garth Reiman, both of Cedar Rapids; granddaughter Kali Reiman of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; brothers Gary (Liz) Reiman of Burlington, Iowa, and Steven Reiman of Homosassa, Florida; and sister Sherrie (George) Mccullough of Homosassa, Florida; brothers-in-law John Schafer of Onawa, Iowa, and Rodney Kuss of Steele, North Dakota; sisters-in-law Diane (Randy) Pendarvis of Peoria, Illinois, Denise (Kevin) Singler of Rising Sun, Indiana, and Dolores (Cliff) Cagle of Oklahoma City, OK; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Greg’s life was taken by a rare cancer—high grade poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. There is no medical cure. Accordingly, in lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations that will be sent in Greg’s memory to The Healing NET Foundation in Nashville, Tennessee. It is our hope that effective treatment will be found to benefit future victims of this disease.
Greg was born on March 16, 1948, in Burlington, IA. He was the son of Stanley Louis and Betty Jean Gregory Reiman. After spending his early years in Oakville, Iowa (where he was MVP of the 8th grade basketball team), Greg moved to Morning Sun, Iowa, to live with his grandparents, Reece and Irene Gregory. During high school, Greg participated in football and wrestling. He graduated from Morning Sun High School in 1967.
After graduating from Southeastern Iowa Community College in West Burlington, Iowa, Greg attended the University of Northern Iowa. Greg received his bachelor’s degree from UNI in 1972 with a major in History.
While at UNI, Greg met and married Debra Schafer, daughter of Virgil and Alice Schafer of Onawa, Iowa. Their first son, Kirk, was born while they were still in Cedar Falls. After a couple of years, Greg and Deb moved their young family to Cedar Rapids, where their son Garth was born. In 1990, they moved to Mount Vernon, where they lived until they moved to their ‘Little House on the Trail’ in Cedar Rapids in 2014.
Greg was a man of deep, abiding faith. He accepted Jesus Christ as his savior in 1981 and cultivated a strong personal relationship with the Lord. He loved his church families, both at First Church of the Open Bible where he was currently a member and served as an usher and on the prayer team, and at First Assembly of God where he served on the board of deacons and as head usher. He and Deb also participated in couples Bible Study for nearly a decade, during which treasured friendships were made.
Greg was known around the area as “The Envelope Man”. For 38 years, he sold specialty envelopes to printers and companies large and small. Greg loved providing exceptional service to his customers and thoroughly enjoyed the ongoing relationships he developed with them; he considered them to be his friends. He retired from the Cenveo Corporation in 2015.
Greg enjoyed athletics throughout his life. In addition to his own athletic career in high school, he enjoyed being a bleacher dad for his sons and granddaughter. He became a fan of the Hawkeye wrestling and football teams. The family had season tickets to Hawkeye wrestling meets for decades, and would often travel together to the NCAA tournament. Greg also enjoyed biking, shooting, golfing, music of various genres, his John Deere riding mower, cars, Mountain Dew, ice cream, Cool Whip, and a good nap.
Family was very important to Greg. He was never happier than when he was surrounded by his sons and granddaughter, and he delighted in helping them. He was Mr. Fixit around all their homes, and he loved tackling home improvement projects on all the homes he and Deb shared; there were very few times he felt the need to call in an expert.
Greg and Deb loved to travel. They tried to take a trip each year when the boys were young. They also joined a couple of tours to Israel with friends from First Church of the Open Bible, took a self-planned trip to Germany, and traveled to both coasts with their sons and granddaughter—but they had just as much fun exploring places like Kansas and North Dakota as a couple. Greg’s love of history translated to an interest in anything that enabled him to learn something from the past.
Greg was preceded in death by his mother, Betty Reiman of Oakville, Iowa; father Stanley Reiman of Homosassa, Florida; grandparents Reece and Irene Gregory of Morning Sun, Iowa; and Joe and Della Reiman of Wapello, Iowa; parents-in-law, Virgil and Alice Schafer of Onawa, Iowa; and sister-in-law Mary Kuss of Steele, North Dakota.
Greg is survived by his wife of 45 years, Debra Reiman; sons Kirk Reiman and Garth Reiman, both of Cedar Rapids; granddaughter Kali Reiman of Eau Claire, Wisconsin; brothers Gary (Liz) Reiman of Burlington, Iowa, and Steven Reiman of Homosassa, Florida; and sister Sherrie (George) Mccullough of Homosassa, Florida; brothers-in-law John Schafer of Onawa, Iowa, and Rodney Kuss of Steele, North Dakota; sisters-in-law Diane (Randy) Pendarvis of Peoria, Illinois, Denise (Kevin) Singler of Rising Sun, Indiana, and Dolores (Cliff) Cagle of Oklahoma City, OK; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Greg’s life was taken by a rare cancer—high grade poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumor. There is no medical cure. Accordingly, in lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations that will be sent in Greg’s memory to The Healing NET Foundation in Nashville, Tennessee. It is our hope that effective treatment will be found to benefit future victims of this disease.
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