MSGT Richard Lowell Reel, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), 92, of Apopka, FL, passed away Sunday, May 11, 2025, at Advent Health Hospice in Orlando, FL.
A native of Sanford, FL, Richard served honorably in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years and retired at the rank of Master Sergeant (E-7). He had resided in Florida for the past 54 years, coming from Washington, D.C. After his military career, he worked as an office manager in the building supply business. He was the former president of Paradise Point Community Club at Bear Lake in central Florida for several years, where he also held several other club offices.
In his leisure time, Richard enjoyed fishing, refurbishing fishing reels, making custom fishing rods, and “tinkering.” He could fix just about anything, and he took meticulous care of everything. A Baptist by faith, Richard was sociable, and especially cherished spending time with family and friends.
Besides his parents, Clifford R. Reel and Lulu Urquart, Richard was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Thelma Reel; sisters, Nancy Spurles and Linda Johnson; and brothers-in-law, James Nail and Sidney Gornto.
Survivors include his son, Richard L. “Rick” Reel Jr. of Tallahassee, FL; daughter and son-in-law, Cathy and Terry Bishop of Atkinson, New Hampshire; sister, Patty Varnes of Gainesville, FL; sister-in-law, Doris Nail of Jacksonville, FL; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to either St. Jude’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at: stjude.org/give.html or Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256 or online at: woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.