Rex Feichter

Waynesville, Rex Roland Feichter, age 74, died on September 18, 2011 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Asheville, NC. He was born to the late Leopold and Martha Feichter in Chicago, IL on April 19, 1937. Rex graduated from Waynesville Township High School in 1955, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated from Western Carolina University in 1960. He twice served in the United States Air Force. On October 10, 1962 he married Elizabeth Strain, his wife, partner and advocate of almost 49 years. Friendly, optimistic, visionary, curious, determined and loyal are but a few words that describe this remarkable man. In the 1960s and 70s, Rex served as Head Chef in his family's beloved restaurant and inn, "The Lodge." An enthusiastic host, he cooked tasty Viennese and German meals for Western North Carolina and its visitors. A surprisingly good buck dancer, one of his favorite stories about his days at The Lodge involved him dancing alongside actor and dancer, Buddy Ebsen, a guest while he took part in the filming of Davy Crockett. In the early 1970s, Rex and his brother Mark developed "Waynesville West Condominiums." This first of its kind project for Western North Carolina typified his "can do" spirit and drive to live a life that was bold and visionary. He said many times, "you can do anything you want in this life, you just have to figure out what it is and get to work!" Rex was restlessly curious. Not one to sit around the house, he literally traveled the world. He visited five of the seven world continents and approximately 30 countries, learning new cultures, meeting new friends and nurturing relationships with European family. His favorite trips were to Southeast Asia, Nepal, India and Australia/New Zealand. It was also common for him to have a ski trip "suddenly" come up, a joy he shared many times with his brothers and good friends. As his career progressed, Rex continued his success as a real estate developer right up to his passing. From building homes, to dreaming up commercial ventures, to rehabilitating distressed properties, this part of his career was deeply fulfilling, as it allowed him to see a situation and use his imagination to make it better. It was a natural inclination of Rex's character to make a difference in his community. He played a small part in helping Waynesville progress to an even better, more vibrant town by serving on the Town Planning Board, the Downtown Waynesville Association, as founding board chair of Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) and many other efforts. He is preceded in death by his parents and dear brothers Ralph and Mark Feichter. Rex is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, three children and their spouses: Laurie Feichter Frodsham and her husband Chris of Waynesville; Jon Feichter and his wife Janice of Waynesville; Will Feichter and his wife Molly of Raleigh, NC. He is also survived by 5 grandchildren, his twin sister Ilse Feichter Shaw of Chapel Hill, NC and many other family members in Waynesville, around the United States, in Canada and Europe. The family will host friends at Wells Funeral Home in Waynesville on Thursday, September 22, 2011 from 12:30 – 1:45 PM. A memorial service will follow, starting at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations be made to Haywood Arts Regional Theatre or Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation.

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