Obituary of Reynold E. Minnich

Reynold Earl Minnich, 88, of Martinsville, New Jersey, passed away at home on October 5, 2014, surrounded by his loving family. He was born on August 10, 1926 in Slatington, Pennsylvania, the oldest son of William O. and Anna S. Minnich. He graduated from Slatington High School in 1944 and enlisted in the United States Navy where he served honorably from 1944 – 1946. He attended RCA Institute in New York City. Rey started his professional career as a technician at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey and helped further the science of underwater acoustics. From there he went on to Automatic Process Control in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and, as a partner in a new venture, he helped introduce novel machinery and equipment to the cast urethane processing industry, which was in its infancy at the time. In 1969 Rey became Vice President of Advanced Machine Planning in Middlesex, New Jersey, where he remained a partner for 32 years. He applied his skills in designing electrical and electronic control systems for AMP's urethane and epoxy processing machines and developed the Flying Wedge, a patented process for dispensing resin. An equal talent to his technical skills was his salesmanship; his ability to make friends and freely share his knowledge of machine processing with every new customer. Rey met his future wife, Laura, at the Central Club in Summit, New Jersey. They were married in 1961 and moved to Martinsville, New Jersey, where he lived for the rest of his life. Over the years he was an active member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Martinsville, New Jersey where he served as an elder and clerk of session and Pluckemin Presbyterian Church in Pluckemin, New Jersey. Rey was an avid reader and cook and enjoyed working outside in his yard and garden. His love of the ocean led him to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where he vacationed with his family for over forty-five years, eventually designing and building a home in Duck, North Carolina. A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he leaves behind his wife of 52 years, Laura Jane Minnich; his daughters; Suzanne White and her husband, Robert, of Glen Gardner, New Jersey and Alice Minnich of New York City; his son, John Minnich and his wife, Jennifer and their two children, Reagan and Liam, of Southern Shores, North Carolina. He is survived by his sister, Ferol Bowman of Lansdale, Pennsylvania and brother, Roger Minnich of Columbia Falls, Montana. A celebration of his life will be held at 3 o'clock on November 9, 2014 at Pluckemin Presbyterian Church in Pluckemin, New Jersey. Donations in his memory may be made to Community Care Hospice, 110 West End Avenue, Somerville, New Jersey 08876 or Pluckemin Presbyterian Church, PO Box 402, Pluckemin, New Jersey 07978. To send condolences, visit www.gcfuneralhome.com.