Hartville bids farewell to Jeff Reale

An open house was held the evening of Jan. 16, at the Church of Christ, 460 E. Maple St. in Hartville, to celebrate a “REALE-TIE-ERMENT” party for Jeff Reale, PT, MA, who is retiring after 37 years and possibly hanging up his tie, at least from wearing one to work. Guests were encouraged to wear a tie in Reale’s honor as they attended the event. Reale’s last day was Thursday, Jan. 22. An estimated 100 people stopped by to see Reale and wish him well. Family, friends and work associates prepared food for those who attended.

Chip Weisel, president of the Lake Township Chamber of Commerce, said, “As a longtime and active member of our chamber, Jeff’s commitment to excellence truly sets him apart. His exceptional patient relationships, high-quality physical therapy services, and ongoing involvement in our community reflect both his professional integrity and his meaningful, lasting impact in the Lake Township area.”

Jeff and his wife, Renee, have four children: one son, Nicholas (Olivia), and three daughters, Selana (Jeremy) Ickes, Jasmine (Paul) Durbak III, and Mikayla. They also have five grandchildren, Claire, Nico, Walker, Leo and Roselynn, with another grandchild, baby Ickes, on the way. Renee said Jeff has three priorities: “God, his family, and bicycling.” The couple married in 1989 when Jeff came to the area. He serves as a deacon at St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church in Fairlawn.

Jeff said, “I would like to extend my appreciation to all of my coworkers, patients, fitness center members, referral sources and to Our Heavenly Father for giving me this great opportunity to be a servant in Hartville over these past 27 years. Thanks again and Godspeed.”

Reale’s bicycling exploits are well known. He biked to the Hartville NovaCare facility from his home in Green whenever weather allowed. Before the Hartville facility opened in 1999, he biked to Concorde facilities in Alliance or Belden Village when working at those locations.

A testament to Reale’s care and concern for patients is shared by Darlene Lepley and her husband, Brian. Darlene is a quad amputee due to a bacterial infection and credits Reale with helping her become strong enough to stand and walk with prosthetic legs and a walker. Reale worked one-on-one with Darlene for 1.5 years as her sole therapist. She recalled his compassion throughout rigorous workouts, saying, “He pushed me, always encouraging, saying repeatedly, ‘Come on! Come on! Come on!’ to be the best I could be.” At the end of her therapy, she was able to complete a five-minute plank routine, an exercise used to build overall core strength.

Lori Upperman, PTA, AT, a staff member at NovaCare, remembered that when she interviewed with Reale for a job, he told her she should always place her family first among her responsibilities. Megan Shankle, PSS, recalled that Reale brought a birthday gift to her home while she was there with COVID-19.

Reale earned his bachelor’s degree from Daemen College and completed his master’s degree in physical therapy with honors from the University of Iowa. A New York native, he worked as a staff therapist in Syracuse and later became director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Prince George’s Hospital before settling in Ohio. He spent most of his career in Ohio with the Concorde Therapy Group, which became part of the NovaCare family in 2021. He has served as center manager at the Hartville NovaCare facility, 850 W. Maple St., since 2021 and previously held the same role when it operated as a Concorde facility beginning in 1999. He has long been passionate about helping patients recover from injury and return to their full potential by connecting care to their personal goals and well-being.

Friends, coworkers and patients compiled a memory book for Reale that includes photos from 1999 to the present, along with written memories from many contributors.

Replacing Reale as center manager in Hartville is Cory Egli, PT, DPT. Egli earned his doctorate in physical therapy from Campbell University in 2019. He lived in North Carolina for eight years, working at an outpatient physical therapy center in Wilmington, before returning to Hartville in 2023. A Lake High School graduate, he attended the University of Akron, majoring in exercise science. Egli treats a wide range of conditions and specializes in dry needling, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, cupping and the McKenzie method for low back pain. He currently splits his time between the Alliance and Hartville NovaCare centers and lives in Hartville with his wife and two children.