Bennett Haines
Reling, 92, of Chesterton, passed away peacefully, July 16, 2020, at home
surrounded by his family.
Ben was born May
25, 1928, the son of Alice and Bennett Reling.
He graduated from
Chesterton High School, Class of 1946, and always enjoyed attending class
reunions and luncheons with his classmates. Ben met the love of his life,
Virginia (Ginny) Reling at Johnson’s Inn, Porter Beach, and last year they
celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary. The two were inseparable.
A lifelong
Chesterton resident, Ben built his own home several blocks from where he
grew up. He took great pride in his town and community. In 1963, Ben started
his own business, Reling Refrigeration, Heating, and Air Conditioning, a
well-respected company that still exists today. He also worked in
refrigeration at Inland Steel.
Ben proudly served
his country during the Korean War and in 2017 he had the privilege of taking
the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.
He was an avid
reader and loved to travel and explore new places. He enjoyed reminiscing
about family trips and the many places he visited throughout the years. Most
of all, Ben enjoyed spending time with his family and adored his
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was the kindest man, most caring
husband, father and grandfather, and a good friend to all.
Ben is survived by
his wife, Ginny; children, Lynn Steinle (Karl) of Arlington Heights, IL, and
Kelly Miller (Mike) of Valparaiso, IN; grandchildren, Jeremy Miller and
Jamie McConnachie (Justin) of Chesterton, IN, and Adam Steinle of San
Francisco, CA; and great-grandchildren, Stella and Olive McConnachie.
He is preceded in
death by his parents Alice and Bennett Reling and siblings Clarkson “Skip”
Reling and Dorothy Bush.
A celebration of
Ben’s life will take place at a later date. Memorial contributions may be
made to Honor Flight Chicago, honorflightchicago.org