Gregory Reinemer—beloved father, grandfather, husband, brother, teacher, writer, friend and so much more—died of sudden heart failure on March 21, 2025. He is deeply mourned by his family and all who had the joy of knowing him. Gregory was the kind of person whose presence could and did brighten any gathering.
Born in Oregon in 1952 to Maxine and Donald Reinemer, Gregory spent his childhood in Everett, Washington. He graduated from Everett High School in 1970, attended Whitman College for a year, then moved to Olympia in 1971 to join the first class of The Evergreen State College. He married his first wife Carmela in 1976 and began raising a family. Gregory helped found two treasured local institutions: the Blue Heron Bakery and the Olympia Food Co-op. While countless Olympia households appreciate the good food from the bakery and the Co-op, he also came to many a friend’s rescue with his plumbing, electrical, and all-around problem-solving talents.
Plumber, baker, community activist, youth baseball coach—what more? How about physicist? At 41, Gregory went back to school, finishing his BS at South Puget Sound Community College and The Evergreen State College. From there, he went on to earn his Ph. D. in physics at Montana State University in Bozeman. Dr. G, as he was fondly called by his students, taught physics for 14 years at Highline Community College in the Seattle area. By all accounts, he was dedicated to making physics interesting and fun, inspiring inquisitiveness and engagement to many students who thought they would hate the subject. (Thank you for being a passionate physics teacher! writes one student: Thanks for making physics a blast!, writes another). After retiring in 2018, Gregory taught an online Special Relativity class through Montana State University which kept his brain lubricated.
He enjoyed trips to the Oregon Country Fair with his two sons in their youth and continued camping and hiking and playing music with them as they became adults. One of the great gifts to Gregory’s children was his love of discovery. “My sense of wonder and joy comes from my dad,” says DK, his younger son. “Out hiking or camping, he showed me the majesty of the trees and rocks and the natural world. He was fascinated with how things work—everything from machines and music to the stars.”
“He modeled a sense of wonder and adventure,” says Yonkela, his elder son. “He showed us what was possible, encouraging us to look beneath the surface—There’s deeper meaning if you look for it, he’d say, but you have to have the courage to look.
“He could be such a goofball,” adds DK, “He’d be talking physics, then suddenly break into dance or bust out a song.”
His stepson, Collin, appreciated Gregory’s balance: “There are few people you can talk to about both spiritual and scientific things, but you could with him. He valued such things as yoga and Eastern religions as well as science.”
Gregory and his beloved wife Betsie DeWreede, a retired organic vegetable farmer, have been together for 32 years. Avid backpackers, travelers, birders, volleyball and table game players (especially Wingspan), they enjoyed life together to the fullest and included family whenever possible. Travel highlights include trips to Mexico, Costa Rica and New Zealand, as well as road trips; the most recent route (Spring, 2024) included stops at Death Valley, Joshua Tree, southern Arizona birding hotspots , Big Bend, the solar eclipse at the furthest east stop in Texas, and stops at the Gila Wilderness and more on their return route.
At home, Gregory was a cherished member of the Independence Valley farming community though he was not a farmer. He often pitched in to help neighbors trouble-shoot electrical and plumbing issues. The kids in the valley have known him all their lives and love his happy, playful nature. Kiran, one of those “Valley kids,” writes: “I hope to honor Gregory every day by encouraging everyone I meet to ask questions, and to love the world around them.” A favorite event of their community was the annual New Year’s Eve party when Gregory would engage the crowd in his physics demonstrations, including experiments with gravity, magnetism, velocity; and, one year—a potato gun!
Gregory’s other loves were many and varied: cryptic crossword puzzles, fun with his two grandsons, the night sky, tinkering, singing, writing and people. His pride and joy was a hand-built 12-inch Dobsonian telescope. He began grinding the mirror in high school and refinements to the completed version were on-going.
I love these cold clear winter nights standing under a dark moonless sky looking up at the stars. So familiar, so calming, so much a part of me.
These are the opening lines of an essay Gregory wrote a few months ago in a writing class at the Olympia Senior Center. He wrote deeply and passionately, with joy and insight, about stars and comets, people and places, childhood memories, aging, hope, struggle and triumph.
Friend Paul Smith writes: “He had an amazing amount of knowledge to contribute, yet conversing with Gregory was always a sharing experience. He always wanted to hear everyone’s perspective, which was certainly a big part of why he knew so much. A chat with Gregory was interesting, enlightening, and just plain fun.”
Gregory loved all kinds of music—rock, blues, classical and more. He enjoyed playing guitar with his sons. The Road and the Sky by Jackson Browne, was a favorite song:
When we come to the place where the road and the sky collide
Throw me over the edge and let my spirit glide.
Gregory is survived by his wife, Betsie; sons Yonkela and DK/Dicken, stepdaughter Kim, stepson Collin, two grandsons Zedric and Kai, sister Leslie, and brother Doug. A Celebration of Life is planned.
Donations in Gregory’s name can be made to one of his favorite organizations, Washington Trails Association.