George W. Riess

RIESS, George W., age 87 of Kettering passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2017. He was born on November 13, 1930 in Pawtucket, R.I. to the late, Warren A. and Irene (Cormier) Riess. Also preceding him in death is his daughter, Mary Riess; granddaughter, Rhiannon Riess and brothers, Gerard, John and Paul Riess. George is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Joan A. (Payne); children, John (Kari) Riess, Mike (Rhonda) Riess, Sally Barney, Dan Riess, Joseph (Heidi) Riess; 8 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; siblings, Jean, Claire, Rosemary, Karen, Peggy, Joseph, Charles, Robert and numerous nieces, nephews and friends. After graduating from West Point in 1954, George flew transport planes across the Atlantic as an Air Force pilot. Afterward, he worked at WPAFB for over 25 years as Director of Operations for the C5 Program. George was instrumental in founding the first crisis pregnancy center in eastern Russia. His passion for serving others guided his efforts to help refugees from Vietnam, Rwanda and Sudan transition into the Dayton community. George was an active member of Emmanuel Catholic Church for 30 years. Friends and family may visit from 5-7 pm on Friday, November 24 at Westbrock Funeral Home, Kettering. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 am on Saturday, November 25 at Emmanuel Catholic Church, Dayton. He will then be laid to rest in Calvary Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Emmanuel’s St. Vincent DePaul or Pro-Life Organization.