George (Jiri) Riedl
June 5, 1951 ~ June 4, 2022
George (Jiri) Riedl
70 of Plainfield, IN formerly of North Aurora, IL passed away on June 4, 2022, at his home, surrounded by his family following a brief illness. George was born on June 5, 1951 in Plzen, Czechoslovakia to the late Hans Riedl and Vera Riedl.
George was born into humble beginnings in the Communist Czechoslovakia. Raised by his grandmother, who instilled a strong work ethic, George worked as EMT for the Fire Department and hospital. After immigrating to the United States, George worked as a security guard for Helene Curtis, where he met his wife, Lisa. He then worked for Dial Corporation, Kane County Government Center and most recently at the Kane County Sherriff’s Department as a corrections officer, before retiring in 2016. George’s dedication to his work showed as he rarely, if ever, missed a day of work and while on the job, earned several awards over the years including Officer of the Year and a Life Saver Award for saving an inmate’s life.
He loved being a citizen of the United States and never took for granted the freedoms we enjoy here in America. He made sure to vote in elections, attended church regularly and likewise encouraged others to participate in those freedoms, which he didn’t have as a young man in Czechoslovakia. He enjoyed reading history books, writing, drawing and was a natural storyteller. He enjoyed spending time outdoors experiencing nature at the family cabin in Minnesota and taking long walks with his wife. He was an avid body builder and believed in keeping his mind and body sharp by going to the gym six days a week starting at 4am, where he was an inspiration to many younger people earning the nickname “Sandbagger” for his relentless workouts in pushing the sleds. He will be remembered as a brother to his coworkers and a Hero to his daughter, Clara.
In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his beloved dog Azor.
He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Lisa (Doehr) Riedl; daughter Clara Riedl (Christian Perry), brothers in law Dane Doehr, Brett Doehr; sister in law Linda Cannon (Mark), and nephews Ryan and Tommy.
Family and friends will gather to celebrate George's life on Saturday, June 11th, at 11:00am (Central Time) at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 10 N. Edgelawn Dr. Aurora, IL 60506, with visitation one hour prior to the services.
Final arrangements and cremation are entrusted to Carlisle Branson Funeral Service & Crematory, Mooresville. Please visit www.CarlisleBranson.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.
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Lisa, I’m so very very sorry to hear about your loss. I hope that memories of your time as a family bring you great comfort. You have my deep condolences. Kathy Levitan
Lisa and Clara, I just wanted to express again to you how saddened I am that George had to go to Heaven so early. We had so many awesome memories and stories that we made throughout the years that will never be forgotten. He was loved by so many people and I know each and everyone of them has great stories and memories about him as well. I am so thankful that I was able to spend time with him and talk to him before his passing and talk to him about the Lord and to tell him that this was not goodbye for us but we will see each other again in heaven! I pray that God will give you and Clara the peace and comfort knowing that George is looking down on you with his grandma and that you will see him again in Heaven. Donny Lang
Lisa you were so luck when you met George, he will be missed. Your memories will help you and Clair move forward one day at a time. My prayer are with you now and in the coming weeks, months and years. Always remember the good times. Patty (Taft) Carnis
My condolences to George’s family. I worked with George @ the Kane Co Jail for many years & have fond memories of him.. He always came to work with a smile, a good morning & did his job well. He was very popular amongst his fellow officers & was well deserving of the departmental awards he was given over the years. I’ll miss the conversations we had regarding his youth in Communist Czechoslovakia; his stories always fascinated me. He was so proud to live & prosper in America & it showed every day through his work. I’ll miss George as will many of us @ the Department. God bless George. We love you & miss you. Daniel Swanson
With deepest sympathy,
Lisa and Clara. If a person Was Looking up the Word “Patriot” in a Dictionary. George’s Picture would Appear Next to the Word. Duty,Honor, Country and Family was His Mantra. For Someone that Immigrated to this Country from One of Soviet Oppression. He Displayed on the Day He Set Foot in the Country. What it was to be A American Citizen. Clara your Dad was Proud of You From the Day You Were Born.His Daily Work Ethnic,Smile and Stories were Legendary. During His Service at the Kane County Sheriff’s Office. He was Always a Pleasure to Work With and I Additionally Had The Honor Of Being One of His Supervisors. May the Love of Jesus Christ Give You Comfort and Peace at This Time. Laurie also extends her sympathy. I am assured Knowing George’s Faith that we will All Meet Again in Heaven. Godspeed and Peace My Friend. W.David Gordon Friend
Lisa, please accept my condolences and prayers at this very difficult time. Pat Fabian
Our family became friends with George, Lisa and Clara in May 1999 when we moved into their culdesac. I treasure our friendship with them. When we moved away to Ohio, George gave us his beer stein from Czechoslovakia. We have had it in a prominent place in our family room since then (18 years!). Memories include hanging out at their house for George’s delicious goulash. And watching our two girls grow up together. I have a specific memory of George. One afternoon, the tornado sirens were going off like crazy, and the skies were weird looking. I happened to look out the window and see George mowing the yard. I ran out and tried yelling to him. Turns out he had on headphones and couldn’t hear the sirens. He did finally go inside. It has been a pleasure having known them for the last 23 years. I pray for Lisa and Clara to have some peace knowing that George will be in Heaven and they will get to see him again. Our prayers and love go out to Clara and Lisa. We love you guys. The Wilsons (Rob, Tami, Allie, Kyle, Noah, and Braden). ❤️❤️❤️
Zasílám vzpomínku na vašeho drahého manžela a otce.Náhodou jsem na googlu našla zprávu o jeho úmrtí.Já pocházím z Česka a od roku 1985 jsme se přátelili.Až do jeho odchodu do emigrace. Jeho 1.bydlení v San Diegu. Psali jsme si dopisy,posílali foto a audiokazety.Naposledy napsal v roce1989 z Key Largo-Florida. Pak už se nikdy neozval. Moje rodina si myslela,že zemřel. George byl velmi inteligentní,vzpomínám na jeho hlasitý smích… V Česku pracoval jako hasič. Moc na něj vzpomínám. Jestli máte zájem o nějaké info, můžete mi napsat. se vzpomínkou Květa Votavová 341 01Horaždovice, 5.května 382 Česko