Col. Henry H. Reichner Jr., retired Marine, former Chamber of Commerce exec
Henry H. Reichner Jr., 98, of Philadelphia, a retired Marine colonel and former executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, died Wednesday, April 12, of dementia at his home.
His 27-year military career included service in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. In Vietnam, he was chief of Gen. William Westmoreland's Southeast Asia Plans Division and later served two years as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Col. Reichner received the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement in the Korean War and a Gold Star Medal "in lieu of a second Bronze Star Medal," for meritorious duty in Korea. He earned the Legion of Merit for service in Vietnam.
Born in Philadelphia on March 19, 1919, Col. Reichner was the second of four children of Henry H. Reichner Sr. and Margaret Falkner Reichner.
The family lived in Germantown and Col. Reichner, known as "Hank," graduated from Germantown Academy. In 1941, he earned a degree in landscape architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.
He was "a force of nature," said his daughter, Robin Franklin. "My fondest memories are often garden-related or plant-related.
"I was probably 4 or 5, and he would take the time to hike up into the hills up outside Port-au-Prince in Haiti looking for wild orchids," Franklin said. "I would trail along with him." Her father was stationed in Haiti as chief of staff for the U.S. Naval Mission.
She said her father gradually went blind over the last 17 years of his life from macular degeneration.
"He wrote his memoir, But One Life to Give, on his computer after he was legally blind," Franklin said.
She praised the Department of Veterans Affairs for providing him with the software and equipment he needed to use a computer.
In 1968, Col. Reichner retired from the Marines and returned to Philadelphia to work as an associate of City Councilman W. Thacher Longstreth, then executive vice president of the chamber.
"Henry was a renaissance man of action who had an unquenchable appetite to learn and to do," said Rob Wonderling, current president and CEO of the chamber.
For 10 years, Col. Reichner was president of the Penjerdel Council, a chamber-affiliated agency that supports mass transportation, highway systems and economic projects for the Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey and northern Delaware region.
For instance, it was involved with projects such as lighting the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, building the sports complex, and deepening the Delaware River
Before leading Penjerdel, he had been its chief executive and was key in the development of the Blue Route, Wonderling said.
While at Penjerdel, Col. Reichner hired Wonderling, then only 10 days out of college, as an assistant and researcher. "He was much more than my supervisor," Wonderling said. "He was my guide and mentor."
Col. Reichner immersed himself in a variety of fields, from the sciences and arts to environmental issues, and then got involved, Wonderling said.
Among his many civic contributions were serving as president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, director of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp, director of the Penn's Landing Corp., trustee of the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, and trustee of the Center for Aquatic Sciences at Adventure Aquarium.
He was awarded the 38th annual William Penn Award from the chamber in 1986.
Jane G. Pepper, a past president of the Horticultural Society, said Col. Reichner was a mentor to her when she was hired as executive director.
"He helped me understand the whole field of horticulture and the importance of the role one had to play in the community," Pepper said.
The society focused mostly on the Flower Show and Philadelphia Green, a program supporting community gardens and neighborhood parks, she said.
But Col. Reichner understood the importance of beautifying the city's public spaces and encouraged the society to renovate the Azalea Garden behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Pepper said.
Then, it was on to beautify the grounds of the Art Museum, plant greenery along the 26th'Street corridor connecting Philadelphia International Airport to Center City, and plant flowers at Logan Square.
Initially, Pepper said, she assumed that Col. Reichner would be rigid as the society's president.
"I thought, we have this Marine here, and he's just going to tell us what to do. But that wasn't his style at all. His attitude was, let's get everyone to work here. It was a style that fit with the chamber and the Horticultural Society."
Col. Reichner enjoyed spending summers with his family at their vacation home near the Poconos at Dingmans Ferry, Pike County, Pa., said son Henry F. Reichner. He loved to garden and build dry stone walls. He said his parents had vacationed there as children and met there. They were married in September 1952.
"He didn't talk a lot about his military life until he wrote his memoir," said Henry Reichner. "We learned a lot about his values -- duty, honor, country – by osmosis, by simply watching him."
In addition to his daughter and son, Col. Reichner is survived by his wife of 64 years, Julia Ann (Spencer) Reichner; another son, John S.; four grandchildren; and two stepgrandchildren.
A memorial service is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 3, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Bethlehem Pike and Camp Hill Road, Fort Washington. Interment was private.
Donations may be made to the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th St., Fifth Floor, Philadelphia 19103.