Obituary: Reinhard “Butch” Sorge

Reinhard Maria Francis “Butch” Sorge, age 78, passed away February 26, 2025, at home in Bloomsbury, NJ. He was born on January 22, 1947 in Manhattan, a son of the late Reinhard and Gertrude Fatzer Sorge.

Reinhard is survived by Katherine Ballantyne, his loving wife of 30 years; his daughters Jessica and Rebecca Sorge; his sons Reinhard E. Sorge (wife Kelly) and Richard Hanley (wife Bronwyn) and their mother, Peggy Sorge; and many loved and loving grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

He was a graduate of Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, NJ and Rutgers Cook College. He was a lover of agriculture — he grew up on a farm in Basking Ridge and later raised peaches and apples on his own farm in Pittstown, NJ. After selling that farm, he became farm supervisor at Snyder Research Farm in Pittstown and then opened The Fence Company, installing countless horse fences and deer fences in Hunterdon County. Never one to sit still for long, in semi-retirement he worked for his dear friends at Peterson Farm in Quakertown.

Butch became interested in beekeeping when he worked at Valley Crest and would do whatever he could to help Bob Kloss and whoever was managing the hives there. When a couple hives needed homes Bob gave Jake and Butch each one. Butch’s interest grew, and he started building bee barns from plans he found on the internet, and was an MVP volunteering for the Warren County Farmers Fair and Hunterdon County Fair bee booths.

With an insatiable need to be of service, Butch was the first to offer to do for others wherever he saw a need. As his health declined, neighbors, friends and family he had helped over the years generously and tirelessly supported him and his family to the end.

Contributions in his memory may be made to www.pollinator.org or Hunterdon Hospice, 2100 Wescott Drive, Flemington, NJ 08822.

We’ve lost a friend. Remember to tell your bees.