Noah Henry Riniker, 41, of Sterling, IL, formerly of Galena, IL, died Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, at CGH Medical Center, Sterling, succumbing to his life-long foe, pneumonia.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church at Menominee, IL, with Fr. Dennis Vargas and Fr. David Flanagan concelebrating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until time of service at Nativity BVM Church on Tuesday. For his many friends at his second home, a Celebration of Life observance will be held Saturday, August 28, 2021, from 1 – 3 p.m. at DD Homes Training Center, 206 Dixon Ave., Suite 4, Rock Falls, IL 61071. The Miller Funeral Home of East Dubuque is serving the family. The funeral mass will be live-streamed on the Miller Funeral Home GROUP face book page.

Noah was born June 18, 1980, Dubuque, Iowa to Lewis and Theresa (Donar) Riniker of Galena, the youngest of 10 children.  He attended schools in the Dubuque Community School District and the Illinois School for the Deaf, Jacksonville.  He worked at the Jo Daviess Workshop during summers and was employed at Self Help, Sterling from age 19 until COVID restrictions 2020-2021.  His residences included Hills and Dales in Dubuque and Willow and Woodburn Court, Sterling.

Noah loved his family, especially his nieces and nephews, NASCAR, televised baseball games, and defying his profound deafness, very loud music that made the walls and the windows shake.

Surviving are his parents, Lewis and Theresa of Benton, WI, formerly of Galena, IL; his siblings Jacob (Crystal) of Hazel Green, WI, Peter (Tamyra) of Volo, IL; Matthew (Nory) of Lockport, IL, Andrew (Victoria) of Creston, IA, Reuben of Webster City, IA, Benjamin (Emily) of East Dubuque, Samuel (Sarah) of East Dubuque and Elizabeth “Liz” (Benjamin) Leahy of Valparaiso, IN; his nieces and nephews Chloe, Clarice, Louis, Jack, Emma, Amelia, Gabriel, Johan, Mya, Logan, Asher, Magdalene, Catherine, Sadie, Sophia, and Sybil Riniker and Juniper Leahy; the residents and staff at Woodburn Court and Willows; 10 foreign exchange students, Franklin Gracia Briceno, Schneider Solano Mora, Ed Ugalde Nunez and Nelson Duarte, all of Costa Rica, Kent Carson of Canada, Jouni Eho of Finland, Josip Glaurdic of Croatia, Ricardo Innechi Amarel of Brazil, Ignacio Sabilla of Argentina,and Rinko Sakuma of London, United Kingdom, formerly of Japan; and special friends David Flynn of Ireland and Mark Rice of Alton, IL

He was preceded in death by a sister, Rebecca (1972), grandparents Jacob and Bernice Riniker and Leo and Mary Donar, and aunts and uncles.

The family deeply appreciates the excellent care he received during his multiple hospitalizations at CGH.  Thank you to the doctors and staff at the hospital and clinics he visited often.

Memorials may be sent to Kiwanis Children’s Fund, Lions Club International or the University of Iowa-Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com.©