Dr. Vernon H. Reich – Hendricker Funeral Home

DR. VERNON H. REICH

Mt. Sterling, Illinois:
Dr. Vernon Henry Reich, age 85, a resident of the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy, Illinois and formerly of Mt. Sterling, Illinois and Knoxville, Tennessee passed away at 11:13 a.m. Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Illinois.
He was born April 30, 1939 in Rushville, Illinois the son of Ellis Henry and Gretchen VanCleave Reich. He married Martha Ann Jones on July 1, 1966 at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Sterling, Illinois and she preceded him in death on June 1, 2024.
Vernon attended Barton Country School, Ripley Elementary School and graduated from Brown County High School with the class of 1957. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture Science from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1961. He was deployed as 1st Lieutenant in the United States Army to Germany in October 1961 and served two years during the Berlin Crisis of the Soviet build up of the Berlin Wall. He later became Captain in the United States Army Reserves. He received his Master of Science Degree in Plant Breeding from the University of Illinois, Urbana in 1965. He received his PhD in Plant Breeding, Statistics and Genetics from Iowa State University in 1968.
He moved with his wife, Martha, to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1968 when he became a professor at the University of Tennessee in the Plant and Soil Science Department for 36 years. He was the small grain breeder for the state of Tennessee working with wheat, oats,barley and rye releasing the barley variety Volbar, the oat variety Cumberland and the rye variety Hiwassee. Later he worked to develop an applied lettuce breeding program and evaluated niche crops for agriculture. He also developed and taught the courses ‘Principles of Plant Breeding,’ ‘Quantitative Genetics,’ and ‘Plant Diversity’. The course for which he was most recognized and attracted undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of majors across the UT campus was ‘Introduction to Biological Statistics’ which he taught for 29 years. He was Major Professor for Master and PhD students in the Plant and Soil Science Department and served on various Graduate Student Committees for other UT Departments. In 1984 he received the Honor Society of Agriculture Gamma Sigma Delta Teaching Award of Merit for an outstanding job both in and out of the classroom.
Dr. Reich was an active member of the following professional societies: Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Sigma Xi, American Society for Horticultural Science, American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America. He served 4 years on the US Office of Plant Variety Protection Board of Directors in Washington DC. He served 8 years as Secretary-Treasurer of the Tennessee Certified Crop Advisor Program in Nashville, Tennessee. He was actively involved in promoting the regional Southern Appalachian Science and Engineering Fair serving for many years as judge, a board member and as president.
Dr. Reich was an Enrolled Agent for the IRS and Master Tax Advisor for H & R Block Tax Service for 30 years (2009). Most recently he worked at the Cedar Bluff Premium Office where he served as Office Manager. His interests included wood working, reading, hiking in the mountains, lake and white water canoeing, and working on his farm.
He is survived by his brother and wife Dr. Robert and Ann Reich of Quincy, Illinois; three nieces and their families, Angela and Lawrence Richter of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Dr. Abby Reich and Brian Miller of Quincy, Illinois and Alicia and Jeff Crowe of Town and Country, Missouri; two grandnieces and a grandnephew, Emily Asmann, Jack and Lauren Miller of Quincy, Illinois.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 20, 2024 in the Hendricker Funeral Home in Mt. Sterling with Pastor Charla Meyers officiating. Those unable to attend are invited to watch the service live on his obituary page of the funeral home website, hendrickerfuneralhome.com.
Burial will follow in the Cooperstown Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted at the graveside by the Illinois National Guard Funeral Honors Detail and the Mt. Sterling American Legion Post #374.
Visitation will be one hour prior to services on Friday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor’s choice.
Condolences for the family may be left online at hendrickerfuneralhome.com.
The Hendricker Funeral Home in Mt. Sterling is assisting the family with the arrangements.