Elwood Reagle Obituary

Elwood "Woody" R. Reagle, 86, passed away on June 18, 2014 at his daughter's home in Loveland, CO. Born May 9, 1928, in Berlin, NJ, he was the youngest of 8 children born to Edward Fisher Reagle and Nettie Christine. Woody attended schools in Marlton and Lindenwold and graduated from Laurel Springs High School in 1947. He was very athletic and one of his teachers remarked that he was the leader on the playground. He was the quarterback in football, the pitcher for his high school baseball team.

He enlisted in the US Air Force in 1947. He attended boot camp in San Antonio, TX. Woody was highly educated in radar technology and became a technical training instructor at Lowry Air Force Base near Denver, CO until he was discharged in 1951. While in Denver, he met Betty Jane Jones and they were married from 1951 until 1972 and together had six children.

Woody worked for a variety of technical firms before enrolling in business school. In 1961, he started preparing income taxes full-time while operating "Woody's Tax Service" from his basement in Commerce City, CO. He sold his business in 1969 and moved briefly to California returning to Colorado three years later.

In 1972, he found employment with the State of Colorado as a clerk at the State Capitol Annex in Denver. Because of his previous tax service business, he was recognized and known by other state employees who helped him work his way up to Tax Examiner. Despite not having a college degree, Woody was offered a position as Revenue Agent and was sent on the road to audit individuals and companies for 18 different types of state taxes. In 1978, the State asked Woody to take a position in Pueblo that they had trouble filling. Woody agreed and moved to Pueblo as Revenue Agent until he retired in 1996.

He stayed active in a travel club, was treasurer of his church and was highly active with the Gold Prospectors of Colorado. He was named "Volunteer of the Year 2002" by the Buell Children's Museum in Pueblo setting up a Gold Panning Exhibition.

The final few years of his life he fought the blood disease MDS and colon cancer. He moved to Loveland to live with his oldest daughter. As his health dwindled, he took comfort in knowing he would soon be "panning for gold in heaven".

He was preceded in death by his brothers; Marvin, Orville and Merl; sisters Martha Rodilosso, Vera Wilgis, and Evelyn Klotz; and son Daniel.

Woody is survived by brother Sam Reagle of Williamstown, NJ; son David Reagle of Salton City, CA; daughter-in-law Cheryl Reagle of Temecula, CA; daughter Colleen Beaufoy and husband Roy of Loveland, CO; son Andrew Reagle and wife Marla of Flower Mound, TX; daughter Carolyn Bailey and husband Hank of Jacksonville, FL; daughter Beth Runkle and husband Jason of Wildomar, CA; 15 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren.

Services will be held Friday June 27 at 2 p.m. at Adrian Comer Funeral Home, 2710 North Elizabeth Avenue, Pueblo, CO, 81003.