metro Navy veteran Herbert Reinheimer, 90, lives at Sunrise Senior Living in West Bloomfield. ANNUAL SEVENTH VODKA LATKE NOVEMBER 26.1 44411160*-- ROYAL OAK MUSIC THEATER 9PM-2AM FEATURING III 11ILLEN FL1111131111110 $20 in advance* I $25 at the door *PRE-REGISTER FOR LATKE VODKA AND BE ENTERED TO WIN A FREE IPAD 2, SPONSORED BY OYVVHATADEAL COM COCKTAILS & HORS D'OEUVRES — DIETARY LAWS OBSERVED — RACHEL LACHOVER CON i i, AT ( 2 4 8 ) 2 0 3 - 1 485 rachellicommunityNXT.com TO REGISTER, GO TO JEWISHDETROIT.ORG/LATKE RSVP BY 11/22/11 PROCEEDS FROM THIS EVENT WILL GO TOWARD JFMD 2012 Annual Campcalqn StepForward The Seventh Annual Latke Vodka sponsored by - Lefirk Lal STUDIO NEXT A BETH EL ik 150 pci 22 ONE SOURCE CONTRACTING, November 10 » 2011 N( ( 11 Jewish r) Federation YOUNG ADULT DIVISION A Well-Anchored Life Navy vet "wouldn't change a thing." Sue Pearl Special to the Jewish News H erbert Reinheimer, 90, has certainly lived an adventur- ous life. According to his daughter in-law Arlene, Herb was an avid sailor. He had a 36-foot Peterson sailboat named Blue Jacket that he sailed all over Lake Superior. Through the years, he par- ticipated in many exciting boat races including the Mackinaw Island Races, which he completed 25 times. This entitled Herb to be a member of the exclusive Old Goat Society, one of the highest honors among sailors. What I found most interesting about Herb, though, is that when I interviewed him, he never once spoke about sailing. He spoke about his pas- sion for Detroit, the Navy and his late wife, Dorothy. Somehow, these are the constants that stayed with him his whole life. What follows is Herb's story ... according to him. Herb grew up in Detroit. He didn't grow up just anywhere though ... Herb's first house was located near where the historic Fisher Building now stands. "My house was in the same location where the Fisher parking garage is today. Maybe, I was actually born right in that exact spot;' said Herb jokingly. "My grandfather, along with other fellow neighbors, sold their lots of land to the Fisher brothers, and the rest is history." Herb loved growing up in Detroit after his family moved to Virginia Park."I enjoyed playing baseball in the street with all my friends:' said Herb, who attended Central High the first year it opened and later Wayne State University. "I remember the horse and buggy carts delivering milk in my neighborhood and my family's first car, a Studebaker. "I spent almost three years on the USS Mitchell destroyer:' said Herb, who was a lieutenant in the Navy. "I was an assistant gunnery officer mak- ing sure that all the weapons were in good working condition. I also learned to fly a single-engine aircraft. I feel very lucky that I was never involved in combaC As far as Herb was concerned, the best part about being in the Navy was meeting his wife, Dorothy. "I met the pretty, young lady who later became my wife at a servicemen's meeting that was sponsored by the government;' said Herb, who worked for the Navy in Washington, D.C., at the same time his future wife, Dorothy, worked there for the government. "Our first date was actually spent in the dark. Every night, the lights were blacked out in Washington, D.C. This was a safety precaution during World War II to deter any kind of surprise attack:' Soon after meeting Dorothy, Herb was given a 30-day leave, and they spent every minute of it together. "When my leave was over, I was just about to go back to the Navy, and sud- denly it was announced that the war was over:' said Herb. "Dorothy and I were overjoyed! We left that day for Detroit in my four-door Ford convertible." Herb and Dorothy had a wonderful life together traveling and raising their four children. Herb also enjoyed his job working as a CPA. "The saddest part of my life was my wife passing away:' said Herb, who lost his beloved Dorothy this past year. They had been married for 65 years. "I really like living here at Sunrise Senior Living in West Bloomfield, and it is great to have my children and grandchildren living close by. If I had my life to do over, I wouldn't change a thing." Here's hoping that the rest of Herb's life will be smooth sailing. 171 Look for "That's Life" columns, showcasing our community's precious senior citizens, in future issues of the JN.