Roberta “Bobbie”‘s Obituary QUEENSBURY — Roberta “Bobbie” Reichenbach, 82, entered into the presence of the Lord on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 after a late recurrence of a long illness. Born on February 2, 1936, the first daughter of Edwin and Helene Bell of Queensbury, Bobbie attended Glens Falls elementary and junior high schools and then Lake George Central School when the district boundaries changed to include her family home. She graduated in 1954 as the Outstanding Senior from Lake George Central School.
In the fall after graduation, she went to the University of New Hampshire as an undergraduate. Before graduation, she returned home to help out after her father had a heart attack. Bobbie was joined on the family farm by four sisters, Shirley (Frank) Sherman, Helen (Harvey) Wood, Cathy (Paul) Pickett, and Barbara Bell.
After returning home, she met her soon to be husband, US Navy sailor David P. Reichenbach, whom she would meet for weekends in New York City while he was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia. After returning home, Bobbie worked at the Lake George branch of a local bank, and then at the Leonelli Insurance Agency, and spent the bulk of her career at the O’Brien Agency. In November 1958 Bobbie and David were married and soon started a family and literally carved a home from a plot of woods in Queensbury.
Bobbie and David had two sons, Brian and Edwin, whose lifelong work became to entertain Bobbie with their sense of humor and to stretch her seemingly limitless patience. Along with teaching Brian and Ed to read, she gave them both the gift of love of the written word and taught them to keep their own counsel despite overwhelming urges to do otherwise. Bobbie’s most enduring legacy, apart from the permanent gifts she gave to her sons and David, was a life of service to the American Legion Auxiliary.
After joining the Auxiliary as soon as David left the Navy, she worked tirelessly from her base at the Lake George Post 374 to aid veterans within and outside the American Legion. Bobbie served as local Auxiliary President and ran for and was elected President of the County organization and of the Fourth District of New York. Bobbie and David gave of themselves personally, spiritually and financially beyond reasonable expectation to help support Post 374.
As President of Post 374 Auxiliary and of the County and District organizations, she led the organization’s programs, and the one most dear to her heart, the Girls’ State program, which creates an annual meeting of high school girls for a residential program to simulate local and State government and teach hands-on civil government participation to hand-selected promising young women. Bobbie was devoted and instrumental in administering and helping perpetuate the program literally to her last days. Bobbie is pre-deceased by her husband, David Paul Reichenbach; her sisters, Shirley (Frank) Sherman and Barbara J. Bell.
She is survived by her sisters, Helen (Harvey) Wood and Cathy (Paul) Pickett; her sons, Brian Reichenbach (Lauri) and Edwin Reichenbach (Robin), her granddaughters, Jordan Reichenbach and Emma Reichenbach of Oakland Township, Michigan; and her grandson, Zach Reichenbach of Lake George. Bobbie’s life was marked by service to others and subordinating her own needs and wants to those who needed her help or time. She leaves friends and family who will miss her unending patience, open heart and willing spirit.
We are blessed to have had her in our life and sad that she is gone. The family will receive visitors on Friday, November 30, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. at Baker Funeral Home, 11 Lafayette Street, Queensbury, to be followed by a memorial service at 5:00 p.m. and then a reception at American Legion Post 374, Lake George immediately thereafter. Condolences and floral arrangements may be sent to the Baker Funeral Home or through www.
bakerfuneralhome.com.
If you found any mistakes, or you would like to add/remove to this obituary, please contact us by email: info@obituary.memorial. We never ask money for this.
