Reinhard, Rose-Lee
Rose-Lee Reinhard, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and caring friend to many, left us on July 5 after a long battle with cancer. She also bravely struggled with MS for the past eight years. Rose-Lee was 76 years old and passed peacefully at her home in Manhattan, surrounded by her family.
Rose-Lee Simons was born in Chicago on May 21,
1946, the daughter of Charlotte Nelson and Bernard Simons. She attended Lake View High School in Chicago, where she was president of her graduating class, then went on to the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she was president of the school’s chapter of Sigma Delta Tau, a national sorority committed to empowering women. After graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in advertising, Rose-Lee embarked on an illustrious career as an advertising executive, first at the Needham Harper and Steers agency in Chicago and later at Young and Rubicam. In the days when Mad Men dominated the industry, Rose-Lee was named Needham’s first female senior vice-president, captaining famous campaigns for McDonald’s, General Mills and S.C. Johnson, among others. Young talent loved working on Rose-Lee’s teams because she inspired great work, and clients loved her for her superb marketing thinking, her keen understanding of their businesses, and her unique combination of directness and charm. Rose-Lee met her husband, Keith Reinhard, at Needham. They were married in Chicago on November 7, 1976 and moved to New York City in 1984. Rose-Lee was elected a Trustee of The Nightingale-Bamford School, where her two daughters attended. She was a leader and vital member of many Board committees and a prime mover in expanding the school’s team sports program, winning high praise from many gung-ho fathers. RoseLee was active in New York City charity work and was a co-founder of WellMet Philanthropy, a women’s giving circle that provides grants to emerging charitable organizations.
Rose-Lee brought her unique sense of style to her family’s homes in Chicago, New York City, Bridgehampton, New York, and Deer Valley, Utah. She teamed with decorators and architects but had firm opinions of her own and was quick to make decisions. In Bridgehampton, Rose-Lee became a member of the Hamptons horseback riding community, passionately supporting her two daughters through their years of horse show competitions. In Deer Valley, she loved hosting friends and family in her magnificent home, which she inspired and helped design. She supported the Sundance Film Festival and took pleasure in organizing screenings for guests. Rose-Lee’s unique sense of style and her great eye for art were reflected in all the family’s homes, where first-time visitors often thought she was an art dealer.
Rose-Lee was an ardent supporter of her children and stepchildren in all their ventures and activities and was happiest when surrounded by her family. She also loved to travel the world with her husband and friends. One highlight was a twenty-one day “Great Faiths” 2007 tour that visited the sites where the world’s great religions began. In more recent
years, she and Keith enjoyed spending time in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Rose-Lee’s many friends described her as a force of nature, a beautiful woman with unique spirit, strength, and indefatigable humor. When people first met Rose-Lee, her smile immediately put them at ease. In addition to her adoring husband Keith, Rose-Lee is survived by her two devoted daughters, both of New York City, Rachel Reinhard and Elizabeth Reinhard Lorimer, and her husband, Peter. Rose-Lee also embraced her five loving stepchildren as her own. She is survived by Christopher Reinhard of New York City; Timothy Reinhard of Long Beach, California; Matthew Reinhard, and his wife, Terrie, of Winnetka, Illinois; Jacqueline Reinhard Chieffalo and her husband, Rodger, of Fort Worth, Texas; and Geoff Reinhard and his wife, Nicky, of East Hampton, New York. Rose-Lee is also survived by five grandchildren and two brothers, Mark Simons, and his wife, Karen, of Katonah, New York; and Adam Simons and his wife, Harriet, of Phoenix, Arizona.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Gifts in memory of Rose-Lee may be made to The MS Center at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. Rose-Lee Reinhard, a woman of beauty and strength, will be sorely missed by many.