Harland Kenneth Rieger

Harland Kenneth Rieger, 77, of Topeka, Kansas passed away, Wednesday, February 4, 2015 in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the very supportive and loving Hospice and Palliative Care Unit at the Raymond G. Murphy Veterans Administration Medical Center with both of his daughters by his side.

Harland was born August 18, 1937 in Clay Center, Kansas to Opal Leona Heath Rieger and Ernest Carl Rieger. He graduated from Topeka High School and later from Washburn University in 1961. On August 20, 1960 he married the former Barbara "Bobbie" Lee Sherman. He attended the Washburn University School of Law and graduated in 1964. He served his country in the military for 36 years as a member of the Kansas National Guard and The United States Air Force in active duty and reserve duty with the Judge Advocate General (JAG). He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. Harland served as the assistant district attorney for Shawnee County and later served as an established and respected private practice attorney in Topeka for over 40 years. Harland was a farm boy at his core and he enjoyed tinkering and being busy. After his retirement, if you could not find him he was usually fixing something. Throughout his life he enjoyed playing tennis and golf, reading, working in the yard, playing poker with his buddies, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. For over 25 years Harland and Bobbie traveled to and from New Mexico twice a year to spend extended time with family, making New Mexico a home away from their eternal home; Kansas.

Harland will be remembered as dear, sweet, brilliant, loving, certainly handsome, honest, stubborn, feisty, one-of-a kind, joker, bossy, sincere, unconditional, a wonderful husband, a best friend, an awesome father, a super uncle, always up for a good philosophical argument, and always present and engaged with his family. Harland is loved more than he probably thought possible and all is well with the world because of who he was for his family and so many others.

Harland is survived by his wife of 54 years, Barbara "Bobbie" Rieger, Albuquerque, New Mexico; his two daughters, Cardinal Rieger and her husband Joseph Miller, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Tonna Burgos and her husband Marcos, Corrales, New Mexico, three grandchildren, Mateo, Maya, and Salome Burgos; many nieces and nephews, and cherished friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Maralene Joan Waller, and his brothers Bill Ernest Rieger and Wayne R. Rieger.

Harland was laid to rest in a private service on Friday, February 13, 2015 at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery at 3616 SW 6th Avenue in Topeka, Kansas where he once fed the ducks with his daughters when they were little and where he later taught them both to drive.