|
ROBERT
C. RIEHLE, M.D., Active in Santa Maria Right to Life Passes Away
1926 - 2009
Robert C. Riehle, M.D., a Santa Maria
resident for over four decades, passed away June 8, 2009 after a long
illness. Dr. Riehle was born in Cresco, Iowa on January 1, 1926. He
served as an aircraft carrier fighter pilot at the end of World War II
and off the coast of China after World War II. He then attended college,
as well as medical school, at the University of Iowa on the GI Bill. Dr.
Riehle moved to Santa Maria, then population 15,000, in 1965 with his
wife, Mary Patricia, and five children and began practicing as a general
surgeon. At one point, he was Chief of Staff at Marian Hospital.
Dr. Riehle was perhaps most proud of his
participation in LIGA International, Flying Doctors of Mercy. Once a
month, nine months a year, Dr. Riehle would close his practice in Santa
Maria and pilot doctors, nurses and non-medical volunteers to remote areas
in Mexico in his plane loaded down with donated medical supplies. The
group was similar to the mobile army surgical hospital (“M.A.S.H.”) units
popularized on television. They usually arrived on a Saturday morning to
lines of people waiting in heat or rain, some traveling up to 400 miles
for free medical care, including surgery by Dr. Riehle.
Robert Riehle is survived by his wife of
over 56 years, his children Karen Petrinovich of San Jose and Arroyo
Grande, Dr. Doug Riehle of Alamo, Greg Riehle of Wesley Chapel Florida,
Paul Riehle of San Francisco, Christy Kolbo of Arroyo Grande, 14
grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Dr. Riehle was proud that all
of his children graduated from either St. Mary's or St. Louis deMontfort
grade schools as well as St. Joseph High School, his daughters graduated
from Santa Clara University and his sons from the University of Notre
Dame, two are lawyers and one a doctor.
Visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 11, followed by the Rosary at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of
Magner-Maloney Funeral Home; and the funeral Mass at St. Mary of the
Assumption at 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 12. In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations in his name to LIGA International, Flying Doctors of
Mercy (www.LigaInternational.org),
SurfAid International (www.SurfAidInternational.org)
or Santa Maria Right to Life (P.O. Box 2611, Santa Maria, CA, 93457).
This article
originally appeared June, 2009 at the Magner-Maloney Funeral Home and Crematory web site
http://magnermaloney.com |
