William Michael Reiter of Venice, Florida, formerly of Clinton, NY, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 7, 2026, surrounded by loved ones at the age of 82.

Bill was born February 29, 1944 – a Leap Year Baby that he liked to joke only made him 1/4th his age! He was born in New York City, lived for a couple years on Long Island and moved with his family at age 4 to the small town of Guilford in upstate New York. He was the son of Michael and Matilda Reiter and the older brother of Keith Reiter, all of whom predeceased Bill. 

After completing 11th grade in Guilford High School with a class of eleven fellow students, the school merged and became Bainbridge-Guilford High School where Bill graduated the following year in a massive class of 60 students! He then attended and graduated from Bloomsburg State University in central Pennsylvania and then later earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the State University of New York at Albany.

He began his career teaching math at John F. Kennedy High School in the Utica, NY public school system. After a few years, he switched fields to become a fulltime Driver’s Education teacher at New Hartford Central School in the nearby Utica suburbs. He would go on to become a highly recognized Driver’s Ed. professional, serving on the Onedia County Traffic Safety Board for many years.

 While teaching at JFK, Bill met a fellow teacher and fell in love. Bill married Edith Mae Hughes in August of 1967. Their first beloved pet Bamsie, a Norwegian Elkhound, was Bill’s first Christmas gift to Edie that December. Their first son, Scott William Reiter (Lauren Colicelli) was born a few months later in May of 1968 and their second son Stephen Michael Reiter (Julie Reiter) in April 1970. The family moved to the nearby village of Clinton when the boys were young and spent a wonderful childhood. They have since also enjoyed being loving grandparents to Scott’s 2 daughters: Madeline Hart Reiter and Eliza Hart Reiter. 

In addition to his teaching career, Bill had a second job as an electrical contractor. He formed Suburban Electric in 1974 and continued to operate the small company until his retirement. He was proud he was a small businessman that employed various electricians over the years.

Bill was a longtime member and leader in the Clinton United Methodist Church, utilizing his electrical skills and experience to serve many years as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. In retirement, Bill served for many years as the Treasurer and on the Infrastructure Committee of their beloved Venetia Community Homeowners Association. In the last few years, they have happily resided still in Venice but at the Ellison Assisted Living Facility with their beloved cat Hemmy. 

Bill and Edie’s favorite past time was travel both abroad and across our great country. They traversed America in their camper van many times visiting all 50 states and numerous National Parks. 

There will be no funeral services. Bill and Edie’s ashes will be scattered together in their beloved Gulf of Mexico. Please feel free to leave a remembrance in the comments section or a direct message, email, text or phone call which will be returned.