Rolin Reiter Obituary (1928 – 2021)

Rollin S. Reiter Akron native, proud veteran and former dairy industry executive Rollin S. Reiter, age 92, died peacefully in Key Largo, Fla., on January 7, 2021. He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Doris (Dori) Redmond Reiter, also of Akron. Rollin (or “Rol”) was born on February 1, 1928, to Harold F. Reiter and Dorothy Steese Reiter. His maternal grandfather was Jay C. Steese, a prominent Akron leader. In addition, he was descended from Conrad Neff, a Revolutionary War patriot, placing Rollin in the Ohio Society Sons of the American Revolution. Rollin devoted his working life to the dairy business, helping grow Akron-based Reiter Dairy from a local concern into a leading food processor serving Ohio and portions of surrounding states. The dairy was founded in 1933 by Ralph H. Reiter, Rollin’s grandfather, and Harold Reiter, his dad. Rollin began his career with the company in 1953, in sales, ascending to president in 1967. In 1986, he sold the dairy to Chicago-based Dean Foods but stayed on to run the business, which retained the Reiter brand. In 1990, he moved to Chicago, along with Dori, to be Dean’s vice president of marketing for milk and ice cream products, serving in that capacity until retiring in 1993. Throughout his career, Rollin was deeply involved with the dairy industry at large, holding leadership positions with state, regional and national associations. His duties with these trade groups was time consuming but he enjoyed his many friendships around the country and the opportunity to stay current on dairy innovations that could be applied to Reiter Dairy. He was supportive of the local business community, too, serving on the boards of B.W. Rogers Company, Great Northern Financial and Barberton Citizens Hospital. In 1986, the Akron Chamber of Commerce named Rollin “Business Executive of the Year.” Rollin’s teenage years were spent at the family’s Cherry Lane Farm in Copley. His sister, Victoria, was born when Rol was 16 so he was essentially an only child with the farm as his playground. He worked during summers raising beagles, calves and ducks, and hunted small game on the property. In 1946, Rollin graduated from Copley High School, where he played basketball, belonged to the Honor Society and was senior class president. He then enrolled at Norwich University, a Vermont military college that would profoundly influence his life. Rollin began as a pre-veterinary student before changing his major to history. He was president of SAE fraternity; Cadet Captain of Troop B; and earned a reserve officer commission as 2nd Lt., Armor. After graduating from Norwich in 1950, Rollin added an MBA from Harvard Business School (1952). He then embarked on an 18-year citizen soldier career with the U.S. Army Reserve, beginning with three years of active duty. The latter included training at Fort Holabird (Md.) and Fort Knox (Ky.), followed by deployment in Japan and Korea, with the 441st Counterintelligence Corps (CIC) Detachment, and Armor. He worked with tanks and became a skilled marksman, joining a USAR team that won awards for excellence with the .45-caliber pistol. Rollin retired to inactive reserve in 1963 with the rank of major but remained in the USAR until 1971. His patriotism and devotion to the military led him to the Ohio Military Reserve in 1980, from which he retired as lieutenant colonel in 1989. He was a life member of the Barberton VFW as well. Rollin’s devotion to Norwich ran deep. He served on the university’s board of trustees for 14 years, 10 of them as chairman. The school recognized him with the Distinguished Alumnus Award and, in 1990, an Honorary Doctor of Business Administration. In 2019, Norwich included Rollin among its most committed and inspiring leaders of the past century, placing his name on the campus’s newly dedicated bicentennial stairs, an honor bestowed upon just 78 individuals. Naturally, Norwich was a key beneficiary of Rollin’s personal philanthropy. He also supported Northwestern University (Dori’s alma mater); University of Akron; Kent State University; Salvation Army; ASPCA; and the Humane Society. Rollin also admired the Boy Scouts of America and served on the Great Trail Council’s board, earning the Silver Beaver Award from the council for distinguished service to youth. While not an Eagle Scout himself, he was proud of his two boys for earning Scouting’s highest rank. For camaraderie and recreation, Rollin enjoyed outdoor pursuits such as fly fishing, hunting and golf. He was an avid reader of American and military history and loved visiting old forts and battle sites around the country. In 1978, he took up decoy carving and quickly became an accomplished amateur carver. He and his lifelike ducks, created from blocks of basswood or tupelo, were once featured on the front page of the Akron Beacon Journal! In 1993, Rollin and Dori retired to Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, where both were active in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the uniformed volunteer arm of the U.S. Coast Guard. In 2004, Rollin served as captain of Division 13, which includes all auxiliary units in the Florida Keys. In addition to Dori, Rollin is survived by his sons, Wellington (Patricia) of Phoenix, and Jefferson (Catherine) of Glen Ellyn, Ill.; and his sister, Victoria (Alan) Goldstein of Key Largo. He was blessed with four grandchildren, Emerson, Adrian, Rachel and Jay — and one great grandson, Whitaker. Private services will be held later. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Akron Community Foundation (akroncf.org) in Rollin’s memory, or to a local animal shelter of your choice. All are invited to sign the family’s guestbook at Legacy.com.