John R. Reither, Sr.

John Robert Reither, Sr. of Westborough, Massachusetts, died peacefully and surrounded by his family on March 12, 2020.

John is survived by his wife, Marla Millen Reither of Westborough, Massachusetts; children, John Reither, Jr. and Elizabeth Beasley of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts and Doug and Laura Marcotte of Westborough, Massachusetts; grandchildren, Henry and Alice Marcotte of Westborough, Massachusetts and Skyla Marcotte of Providence, Rhode Island; and brother, Frank Reither of Stoneboro, Pennsylania. He is preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Florence Reither and his brother David Reither.

John was born on May 3, 1954 in Grove City, Pennsylania to Frank and Florence. He attended Grove City College, and he met Marla during their freshmen orientation. The two were married on December 27, 1975. He graduated from Grove City with a degree in chemical engineering. John and Marla moved to Kinston, North Carolina after their college graduation, lived in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania for several years, and settled in Summerville, South Carolina with their children. John worked as a chemical engineer in Summerville for many years. John and Marla later moved to Westborough, Massachusetts to be closer to their grandchildren.  

John was a kind and loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. John had an unwavering faith. He was a member of New Hope Chapel, and he remained strong and brave throughout his illness. John enjoyed golf and classic rock, taking road trips with Marla, playing Madden Football with his grandson Henry, and watching Henry’s youth hockey games. John also loved spending time with his granddaughter Alice, and the two could often be found playing “Diner” or “School.”    

A memorial service will be held at a future date.

John was always saddened to see children going through the same cancer treatments as himself, so kindly consider donating to the John Reither Memorial Fund for St. Jude Children’s Research. The family would like to thank his team of caregivers from the Sarcoma Center at Massachusetts General Hospital and his visiting nurse, Julianna.