Obituary of Michael Rieber

RIEBER, Michael 10/13/1932 - 10/13/2018 U. AZ. Economics Professor Emeritus Michael Rieber passed away after a struggle with Parkinson's disease in his last few years. Mike, born in NYC, was an early graduate of the Bronx H.S. of Science, had double majors in chemistry and economics at Syracuse, economics and statistics at U Tenn., and received his PhD in economics at MIT. Before coming to U.A. he was a research professor and acting director at the center for Advanced Computation at the U. IL, Champaign campus. DeVerle Harris recruited him along with Richard Newcomb, for the Mineral Economics Program, where they produced an amazing number of PhDs. Sadly, The college of Mining and Geological Engineering ended the program, so Michael entered the economics department. We have been told numerous times that his students loved him. He brought humor, life and reality to every subject that he taught. He wrote hundreds of published articles in his field and won many teaching, national, and international awards. For eight years he was a visiting professor of mineral economics at the western Australian School of Mines at Curtin U. of Tech in Perth. For nine years he was a visiting professor in the School of Economics and Finance at the RMIT in Melbourne, Australia. For many years after his retirement he worked as an expert on divorce pension plan allocations for local lawyers. In all of the above places he brought intelligence, integrity, honesty, humor, thoroughness, clarity, and a keen sense of humanity. His was a rare life. He was a hard worker, devoted to his family, a caring son, brother, uncle, husband, and father. He was larger than life, both physically, in his opinions, and his sense of humor. He leaves his wife, Arlene; his daughter, Alison; his sons, Garth and Bruce; his nieces and nephews, his many students and friends; but he and his lovely wit will be with us always. There will be a Celebration of Life remembrance for him at the Bloom Music Center at St. Philips in the Hills Church at Campbell and River at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, 2019. Always a charitable donor to may causes, he would wish that you make any donations to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Dodge Chapel.