Joe Riehle

I've so loved reading the memories everyone has written about Joe and learning more about what a wonderful, unique person he is! I say is, because he still is, we just can't see him right now. I knew him mostly through my friendship with his mom, Ruth, but we made a movie together with Tim Clark, and our Joe was the other half of the Double Joe party. What a wonderful time! My heart goes out to all who are missing him right now and I'm praying God will bring you comfort as you struggle with this devastating loss.

Joe, a shooting star whose lifespan was shortened too soon. A telented individual in music, board games, poetry, writing and above all his interaction with family and friends. He shone like a star and it rubbed off on all around him, bringing the the out in each of us.
Long walks through his favorite places. Photography and music and inmense love, all presented in his own way.
He was taken to soon, will be inmensely missed. May his positive influence live on us and keep inspiring us.

Joe is my nephew, and I am so sorry and sad about his passing. I will always remember his creativity, fun-loving spirit, and his joy in giving to others.
One of my fondest memories of Joe is when he visited and decided to check out all of the garage sales in our neighborhood. He returned with fun gifts for each of us—games, trinkets, vases, etc. He also gave us joy! Joe was so loving and kind!
My heart goes out to Chuck, Ruth, Kim, Wren, and all who loved him.

I never met Joe, but got a feel for who he was from the amazing stories. I like what I feel, his love for people, music, and the simple life, his creativity, and emphasis on joy and happiness.

I know Ruth, Joe's mother. How could he be any different than he was? She is an awesome, wise, caring, and valued part of our family. We pray for comfort and healing for Joe's family friends, and associates. Keep his precious memories alive. He continues to live through you.

It has now been 3 weeks since I have learned of Joe's death. Though it was a bit of a shock, it wasn't totally. Joe had been struggling with the awful disease that has haunted our family - alcoholism. We slowly lost much of the Joe that many of your entries are now reminding me of. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sharing these memories and helping me remember my fun, silly, creative, loving, beautiful nephew. I did not totally forget but the past 1.5 years have been painful and at times despairing.
I am Ruth's sister and am so lucky to have her as a sister and so lucky to be an aunt to her two amazing children, Kim and Joe.
I have had the good fortune of knowing Joe since birth. One of my earliest memories of Joe was his crawling around with the bottle hanging from his mouth - at a young age we was on the move with nutrition readily available.
When Joe was young I lived in Iowa and then moved to Colorado when Joe was two. Most summers the Riehle family would come out to visit me for a week in August prior to their school year starting. I so treasured and looked forward to this time together. What always struck me as Joe grew where his long limbs and those very long fingers.
Joe was creative plus from the get go and grew to embrace and nurture his creativity via films, music, costumes, games, conversations, dancing, being weird (a very important Kooistra trait) and just plan old silliness.
The quilted vest that Joe wore was his Grandma Erna's and every time he wore it - I silently laughed remembering my mom and wondering what she would think of him wearing her vest.
One of my fondest memories of Joe was when he was living in Olympia, married to Nellie and my family was out for Thanksgiving. We went to Joe and Nellie's home for Thanksgiving. There was a large crowd with family from both sides and later in the day the Karaoke machine came out and the laughter that ensued was so heartwarming. Joe and Nellie made everyone feel welcome and loved and all the laughter was so infectious and such a gift.
Then there was Joe as a father to dear Wren. Watching Joe with Wren - playing, laughing, being weird, silly, asking profound questions and having deep conversations with a toddler. The two of them going for walks, hunting for treasures at garage sales, and enjoying pizza at Vick's.
One of the things I will miss about Joe were his big hugs and how he hung on when he gave you a hug. I love you Joe, Your Auntie Jean

Some poems I wrote for Joe about Joe, back in college:

The book of Joe

In the beginning, there was Joe. Joe was begot from the union of Ruth and Chuck, who begot a good, named Joe Riehle. Many lives were touched by this Joe Riehle, and life was good for Joe was good. 
Joe walked the streets with no shoes, inviting friends and neighbors all to play badminton, and it was good. Joe inspires song of pollination, excelled in a musical circus and aced papers about poep. And it was good and excellent, because I don’t think many people can ace papers they write on poep (poop).

Joe grew a mustache for mustache month. He taught Ambar guitar and is learning a little Dutch.

He chilled with Omar. It was good, because there was Joe.

Joe barred his belly with Annick. Friend Annick became yard goblin, and it was good. Joe held up his fingers and said ‘eight’. His fingers were long. Joe played soccer and somersaulted in an art of soccer-ball kicking. And it was good. Emily came over, Joe was happy. Another Emily came over, and they met, and joe was happy, and it was good.

Ambar had not showered and had one leg. Joe brought Spice Girls, and it was good. Joe was Ambar’s friend, and it was good.

We had a party for Joe, and everyone sang and more for Joe! Joe is great! He is my friend, and it is good.

Haiku One:
Big feet with five toes
Walked on the streets of Cedar Falls
Many miles they walked too

Big feet now walk Seattle
Spreading Joe all over the town
Hope he comes back soon

Maybe in the summertimes
Joe’s old friends each other see then!
And it will be good!

Joe was my step-brother, or should I say, I was his evil stepsister. I met Joe when I was 15, a fresh transplant from Ames, Iowa. My brother Omar and I had moved out of a tumultuous household to live with my father in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Shortly after, we met the amazing Ruth, and not too much after, a tall man named Joe - her son. Joe was attending UNI and became a regular visitor. I think Monday was his night to come over for dinner, but sometimes it felt like he’d be over more, especially when we started trading Dutch lessons (me) for guitar lessons (Joe). I’m still a pretty terrible guitar player (no fault of Joe’s, who I’m sure was an excellent teacher), and I’m not sure how good Joe’s Dutch ever was - though apparently (according to some old letters), I used to give him ‘tests’ that he aced, which I’m not surprised.

Joe was, magic. He was Joe. I was such a nerd, yearning to belong and feel less self-conscious, shy. Joe was full of light and fun, and I think Omar and I just gravitated towards him as this fun new older brother in our lives. He was kind, silly, and totally himself. I remember laughing a lot, and just having a lot of fun together.

I remember Joe introducing us to Neutral Milk hotel, and some random night all of us laying on the kitchen floor blasting The King of Carrot Flowers. That might have been before or after we had been banging pots and pans, a spontaneous drum circle led by Joe Riehle himself.

The years kind of blur together, but somewhere in there I went to college and Joe moved to Seattle. We’d write letters full of silly stories - his writing so distinct. He’d ask amazing questions like, “Do you currently feel like you are the farmer, or the crop?” E.g. do I feel like I am in control of my life, or like someone else is running the show (my life). He had high hopes that I’d marry Ben Wilson, whom was also attending University of Iowa - but sadly - it was not to be (lol, sorry Ben!). He thought that this might finally be the joining of the families to tie us to the Wilsons forever. Maybe Joe is looking down on us now, hoping to facilitate the joining of the next generation.

We visited Washington as a family several times, after Joe moved to Seattle to be Jonah’s fairy godmother. I remember going on crazy long walks with Joe, and having my first bowl of Pho with him at Than Brother’s on Broadway - that delicious bowl made me want to move to Seattle. When I did eventually move to Seattle a few years after college, I was lucky enough to experience many joyous visits in Joe and Nellie’s home in Olympia. Karaoke contests, complicated game nights, playing Dixit (my now favorite game of all time). Joe and I always said we’d make a game together. He’d be the mastermind, and I’d illustrate the visuals.

Over the years, the visits became less - family gatherings were more complicated due to various family dynamics and falling outs between individuals. I’d invite him to Burien, but he never made the trek. I miss all those gatherings and all the silly fun we had. Joe was so amazing at making the mundane sparkle. He was a vat of creative energy - and never worried how he’d monetize a creative pursuit (unlike me, who literally has been designing for corporations these last ten years). He inspired me.

It’s been truly heart breaking to read so many wonderful stories and messages about Joe. When did Joe forget he was, Joe - magical Joe? I hope he’s looking down on us and reading all these stories, and feeling the love he couldn’t remember was there for him while he was still earth side.


More core Joe memories:
• Walking the trails at George Wyth in the pitch dark (minus lightning bugs) in Cedar Falls with Omar in the middle of a midwest summer night.
• Burning the kitchen floor when a pan caught on fire and we set it down in a panic, while Joe was ‘babysitting’ Omar and I one weekend when my dad and Ruth were out of town. We signed the vinyl and covered it with a rug. Sorry Ruth and Papi! Luckily that kitchen ended up being remodeled.
• Singing music for Joe about Joe at the double Joe birthday party with the Webb sisters.
• Asking Joe for chess advice via written correspondence.
• Pollinating with Joe in Parkersburg, Iowa along with a gaggle of other misfits and my father as our crew leader. Joe singing silly songs over the walkie talkies, and making the hot summer work joyus and memorable.
• Joe holding up his fingers and saying random numbers, to make us laugh (because his fingers seemed SO long).
• How Joe would sing my name, Ambabababbababababbababarrrrrr.

Thanks for being my bonus brother Joe, and most of all, my friend. I’ll miss you forever.

Joe was my son. He will always be my son in my heart. I feel like a shell of a person walking around in a human costume.
But Joe would want me to remember always : the music, the board games( especially Innovation), the dancing, the fun with Wren and friends and family, and the lightheartedness that life can bring. I will also always remember his big bear hugs!
I love him so much and I will miss him forever!!!

Thanks for riding the blade with me for so many years Joe! Follow your heart, dear friend.

I am one of many volunteers at the Thurston Co. Foodbank warehouse. I work with a group of women who dedicate our time to the Other Bank section. Most of us had the pleasure of seeing Joe's smile and calling out our name as we entered the warehouse for our weekly shift. Joe was one of a kind. His patchwork quilt vest and his various hats brought a smile to our faces. His kindness, patience and support for our "corner of the world" made us feel important. That was one of Joe's many gifts. He wrote a letter to each of us about our contribution and attributes to the organization. He also brought fun and joy to many mundane tasks. He would set up a small, motorized tractor and deliver treats down our aisle as we worked. He was always coming up with ways to make our shifts better. We were so happy for him when he and Emily got engaged. He was over the moon. Our hearts break for his family and we were all better having Joe in our lives, even for a brief time.

Joe was my older cousin, but his approach to life seemed one of silly, childlike irreverence. He walked barefoot, sang loudly and often, created without end, and was weird and kind as his mother instructed. His play was unrivaled – be it in music or games – and he prioritized fun long after the over-stuffed seriousness-es of adulthood might have directed him otherwise. He gave little attention to manufactured norms that did not really matter, prodding and poking with levity so the rest of us might remember that culture should be regularly questioned and sometimes subverted.

Joe’s absence feels surreal in the heaviest way. But even in our grief, I imagine he would want us to continue to play, to create, to be silly, and to do good – together. Thank you, Joe.

Joe was my only sibling, 4 years younger. When we were little, he was quiet and got the rougher end of the deal in our households. I was worried about him when I left home, but when I returned any time over the next several years I was impressed and relieved to see the community of friends he had built around himself: the bands, the wrestling tournaments in our backyard, and so on; he seemed to be a magnet for people and to really know who he was.

After 10 years apart, he gave me the incredible and unrepaid gift of moving to Seattle to help us raise my son Jonah. While Jonah was an infant, Joe kept himself busy by running “The Shelves”, a world that he created that existed both online and as action figures (who of course had hilarious names, e.g. a Jesus figurine was Samuel Alito; a rat was named Liver Experiment, and so on) on our bookshelves. As soon as Jonah was able to walk, Joe would take him on many hours long walks around the city, Jonah needing many tiny steps to keep up with Joe’s. They sang They Might be Giants and counted garage doors. Joe came up with elaborate Halloween characters for them, creating new duos with entire lives and theme songs, which he would play on a loop via boom box as they trick-or-treated. Soon, Joe made his own life in Olympia, brought Nellie & Raven into our family, and then Wren, who looks so much like the Joe of our childhood and shares his resilience.

It would be impossible to list all the special things that I have experienced over the past 20 years just because my dear brother was near me, but they included:
- Singing on his holiday special album, “Cooking with Christmas”
- Being his doubles partner at a badminton tournament in Yelm, wearing our IOWA t-shirts and posing as ringers from out of town
- Competing in a series of events for Medieval Thanksgiving, a holiday that he invented
- Celebrating MLK Jr Day rather than Christmas
- Participating in the Rotator Cup, a board game tournament with his friends in Olympia
- So many karaoke duets, including End of the Road by Boyz II Men when I left for Boston, and White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane to welcome Alex into our clan
- Achieving a Violet belt in his puzzle dojo

Whenever the stress and loss in my work became overwhelming, I could tell Joe the stories of my patients and their families and he would offer fresh perspective – always sillier and more joyful than my own. How incredibly lucky I have been to have him as a brother and close by. While we don’t fully know why he died, the last 1-2 years have been incredibly painful for Joe. I think that he forgot who he was, and despite our efforts and circling around him, we couldn’t help him remember. Now there is a surreal and crushing sadness. It has been lovely, though, to read the kind words from his friends and fans from the different phases of his life, and to reassure myself that I am not alone in knowing that Joe was magic. Thank you all for caring about him and for helping him to live such a full life.

Joe was engaged to my sister Emily. She unfortunately died from substance abuse and I think Joe with his big heart wasn't able to recover. My memory of Joe was him being one of the nicest and most positive people ive ever known. Im so sad for his loss. I wish I reached out to him more in the last year to check in on how he's doing. I hope his son, mom and other loved ones in his life are grieving well. Im so sorry for your loss.

If you have a Facebook account, you can visit and contribute to a memorial page created by his friends and loved ones here:
www.facebook.com/share/g/1BwmpPoAdg

You can also view 'The Secret History of the Cedar Valley' post on Joe: www.facebook.com/share/p/1BZjimok3y

You can find more of Joe's wonderful creative content here,
• Joe's YouTube Account, full of amazing videos and reviews: www.youtube.com/user/HelloGregor
• https://joeriehle.bandcamp.com

Have something else you'd like commemorated/added here? Reach out to Ambar - adekokmercado@gmail.com or (206) 883-1526