December 30, 2005

Evergreen couple perishes in small-plane crash

Riedlins will be missed at home, work, community

By Bea Baechle
Editor

Vern Riedlin loved to fly. Rather than drive to Visalia to deliver Christmas presents to relatives, he and his wife Terrie opted to fly in his six-seat, single-engine plane as readily as most people would hop in a car.

Yet on Dec. 10, the plane vanished from air-traffic radar at about 9 p.m., eight miles south of Kingsburg. Dense fog impaired the sheriff’s deputies search for the missing plane, and they decided to resume the search the next day.

The plane was located in an orchard in rural Kings County, near Hanford the next day. Vernon Martin Riedlin, 48, and Terrie Lynn Riedlin, 50, perished in the fatal crash. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Hundreds of people filled the Chapel of Roses at Oak Hill Funeral Home on Dec. 29 to remember the Riedlins and show their support for the children left behind, including Katherine, an eighth grader at Quimby Oak, Michael, a junior in the Biotech Academy at Evergreen Valley High School, and John Carey, 35, Terrie’s older son and Vern’s stepson.

John began the personal sharing in a tear-filled room of family, friends, neighbors and co-workers struggling to deal with the tragedy that so suddenly removed the beloved couple from their lives.

“They were so full of life, son on the ball,” began John. He recounted his early life, born to a 15-year-old girl and single mother, who at age 17 left her home in Fresno to begin a new life for herself and her young son in San Jose.

“We had some really good times and some bad times, but this single working mother made a career for both of us, even with the odds stacked against her,” he continued.

When he was young, John sometimes wondered if he was a burden to Terrie, but when she met Vern, their lives changed. “I finally felt my mother has her life back,” recalled John. “My mom has found the man who could make her happy. I loved the man. I had never had a father figure … he was a great provider and father to his children, who are so smart and caring.”

He vowed to take care of his brother and sister, who will remain in the family’s Evergreen home. John, his wife Kimberly and their two-year-old daughter Madison will move into the home. They are expecting a second child early in 2006.

Donna Mendez, Terrie’s best friend, shared, “How do I really tell you what wonderful people they were? They were truly special. He was her ying to his yang.”

She recalled the wealth of knowledge Vern possessed on a variety of topics, his years as a baseball coach and how much his years of participating in scouting with Michael meant to him.

Donna described Terrie as “the most wonderful day care provider” who knew how to take care of kids as if they were her own. “But she was much more than that—she would bake you a cherry pie for your birthday or bring you a big basket of chocolate chip cookies. She loved to bake and cook. She was truly special.”

Donna said that Terrie “took care of me like she was my mom, but she was my friend,” who would drive 100 miles to come to a play with you. “If it was important to you, it was important to her, and she was there to share it with you.”

Terrie made Donna laugh with the many day care stories she loved to tell. “I’ve been blessed with the best of friends,” said Donna of Terrie and Vern. “Some people just click. Friends are those who know you’re not perfect, but love you just the way you are.”

She noted how much Terrie loved Christmas. “This was her time,” she added. Going forward, Donna said, “John is everything Terrie was and he will hold this family together.”

Many of Vern’s IBM co-workers flew in from around the country, including a woman from North Carolina who spoke on behalf of all the IBMers “who really loved him.”

She spoke of the many phone calls and e-mails received to let the family know that their thoughts and prayers were with them.

She also told a story of customer who Vern had developed a mentoring relationship with in addition to his regular work duties. She also spoke of his creative ideas and how they joked about “Vernon, Inc.” to channel them through some day.

Another person shared about how much the Riedlins loved their bull terriers and the pride they took in the puppies that were now competing.

In an e-mail after the service, Evergreen resident Anne Friend wrote of the passionate love the Riedlins had for their children.

“The Riedlins were great, wonderful people—the kind of everyday heroes that make the fabric of this country strong. They are an example of valuable members of the community who are quiet about their contributions,” wrote Anne. “I admired them both tremendously—Terrie for her love of being a mom/homemaker/wife/friend and Vernon for his humor and his ability to draw out the best in my daughter.”