CONSTANCE ELEANOR RECKTENWALD
Constance Recktenwald was born in Czechoslovakia on Feb. 17, 1922. She came to the United States at age eight along with her mother Clara, and they joined her father John Olesch in Pittsburgh. Connie graduated from Avalon High School in 1941, and received a BA in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1945.
Connie then obtained a teaching job in upstate New York. There she met the love of her life, William Recktenwald, who had returned from service with the Army. They were married in Hornell, NY, on December 26, 1946. Connie and Bill went to Indiana, where Bill finished his engineering degree, and then moved to Washington, D.C. There Connie worked at the Library of Congress and as a translator at the State Department, while Bill worked at the patent office and obtained his law degree.
Connie and Bill moved to Rochester, NY, and then to Detroit, MI, where their only child Mark was born in October 1955. The new family moved to Long Beach, IN, where Connie taught English at Elston High School while Bill pursued his career as a patent attorney. Later, the family moved to Lake Forest, IL, eventually settling into a 1860s-era farm house that Bill and Connie restored. Connie started an antique business named for the house, The Proper Victorian, and she and Bill spent many hours refurbishing and selling furniture and clocks. Connie was a loving mother and wife, and did everything to help Mark in sports, education, and life.
Connie and Bill were blessed with two grandchildren, Andrew and Sarah, and visited Mark and his wife Gailynn in Hawaii each year. After Bill retired in 1996, Connie and Bill lived in Honolulu, Henderson, NV and Boulder City, NV. When Bill passed away in 2007, Connie moved back to Honolulu and lived at the Plaza at Punchbowl, and later at Oahu Care Facility. At Oahu Care, she made many good friends among the other residents and staff, always greeting visitors with a bright smile and a cheerful "Hello Darling!" She passed away peacefully on January 25, 2012 at St. Francis Hospice in Nuuanu, at age 89.
She is survived by her son Mark, daughter-in-law Gailynn, grandchildren Andrew and Sarah, and step-grandson Trevor. The family wishes to extend its deep appreciation to all those who helped to care for Connie in her last years, and especially the staff at Oahu Care Facility and St. Francis Hospice.
A private service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Francis Healthcare Foundation or Oahu Care Facility.
CONSTANCE ELEANOR RECKTENWALD
Constance Recktenwald was born in Czechoslovakia on Feb. 17, 1922. She came to the United States at age eight along with her mother Clara, and they joined her father John Olesch in Pittsburgh. Connie graduated from Avalon High School in 1941, and received a BA in education from the University of Pittsburgh in 1945.
Connie then obtained a teaching job in upstate New York. There she met the love of her life, William Recktenwald, who had returned from service with the Army. They were married in Hornell, NY, on December 26, 1946. Connie and Bill went to Indiana, where Bill finished his engineering degree, and then moved to Washington, D.C. There Connie worked at the Library of Congress and as a translator at the State Department, while Bill worked at the patent office and obtained his law degree.
Connie and Bill moved to Rochester, NY, and then to Detroit, MI, where their only child Mark was born in October 1955. The new family moved to Long Beach, IN, where Connie taught English at Elston High School while Bill pursued his career as a patent attorney. Later, the family moved to Lake Forest, IL, eventually settling into a 1860s-era farm house that Bill and Connie restored. Connie started an antique business named for the house, The Proper Victorian, and she and Bill spent many hours refurbishing and selling furniture and clocks. Connie was a loving mother and wife, and did everything to help Mark in sports, education, and life.
Connie and Bill were blessed with two grandchildren, Andrew and Sarah, and visited Mark and his wife Gailynn in Hawaii each year. After Bill retired in 1996, Connie and Bill lived in Honolulu, Henderson, NV and Boulder City, NV. When Bill passed away in 2007, Connie moved back to Honolulu and lived at the Plaza at Punchbowl, and later at Oahu Care Facility. At Oahu Care, she made many good friends among the other residents and staff, always greeting visitors with a bright smile and a cheerful "Hello Darling!" She passed away peacefully on January 25, 2012 at St. Francis Hospice in Nuuanu, at age 89.
She is survived by her son Mark, daughter-in-law Gailynn, grandchildren Andrew and Sarah, and step-grandson Trevor. The family wishes to extend its deep appreciation to all those who helped to care for Connie in her last years, and especially the staff at Oahu Care Facility and St. Francis Hospice.
A private service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Francis Healthcare Foundation or Oahu Care Facility.Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
