Dr. Clara Cook Reese

Dr. Reese lived a long and productive life. Born in Burke County on November 11, 1931, she was the daughter of the late Theodore and Edna Bowman Cook. She left high school after the 11th grade to help support her family. On August 25, 1950, she married the late Ned Ervin Reese of Hickory. Two children, Jerry Alan Reese and Susan Reese Albano were born of the marriage.

After many years of work at Ellis Hosiery Mills in Hickory, Dr. Reese, at age 33, enrolled at Fred T. Foard High School and received her diploma in 1965. While still employed, she later enrolled at Lenoir-Rhyne College where, in just three years, she received, at age 37, a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969.

Following her graduation from Lenoir-Rhyne, Dr. Reese was employed by the Newton-Conover school system as a junior high teacher. During her tenure at Newton-Conover, Dr. Reese enrolled in summer courses at N. C. State University and in 1972, at age 40, received a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in vocational education.

In early 1977, Dr. Reese received a federal grant which enabled her to move to Raleigh and enroll in the occupational education curriculum at N. C. State as a doctoral candidate. On May 10, 1980, at age 48, NCSU awarded Dr. Reese her Doctor of Education degree with an emphasis in Occupational Education and minor in Adult and Community College Education.

In 1980, Dr. Reese took a position in the Department of Adult and Technical Education in the College of Education and Human Services at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thus began a long and distinguished career at that institution. During the first 11 years of her tenure, she traveled throughout West Virginia teaching post-graduate and enrichment courses to the public school teachers of that state. During the remainder of her tenure, she taught on-campus courses, supervised numerous grant programs, often represented Marshall as a conference speaker and published widely. After 29 years of exemplary service at Marshall, Dr. Reese retired in May, 2009 at age 77.

In her 31 years of residency in Huntington, Dr. Reese was very active and took a leadership role in the community. She served on the Institutional Review Committee at St. Mary’s Hospital, the League of Women Voters, and volunteered at Mayes Riverside Manor, a local nursing home. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Huntington, the Board of Directors for the Huntington Lions Club and the Board of Advisers for the local Salvation Army post. Dr. Reese was also very active in the Fourth Avenue Methodist Church where she taught Sunday school and sang in the Chancel Choir. Of all of her contributions to the Huntington community, Dr. Reese was most proud of her leadership participation role in the location and construction of a new state-of-the–art facility for Hospice of Huntington. With her usual energy and determination, she was a driving force in successful fundraising efforts for that impressive facility.

In 2011, Dr. Reese relocated back home to Catawba County. She moved to the Abernethy Laurels Retirement Community in Newton where she received excellent care and support for the remainder of her life. The family is deeply appreciative of the high quality medical and personal care Dr. Reese received from the dedicated professionals at Abernethy Laurels over the years.

In addition to her parents Dr. Reese was preceded in death by her late husband Ned, a business owner, a brother, Eugene Cook, and a step brother, Larry Bowman.

Dr. Reese is survived by her daughter, Susan, of Newton, herself an educator and musician; her son, Jerry, of Hickory, an attorney; four grandsons: Justin Reese and wife, Megan, of Charlotte; Patrick Reese and wife, Lena, of Santa Barbara, CA; Phillip Reese, of Fort Lauderdale, FL; and John Reese, of Greensboro, all successful professionals; and seven great-grandchildren: Riley Reese, Camden Reese, Isabella Reese and Robert Reese, all of Santa Barbara, CA, and Jacob Reese, James Reese, and Luke Reese, all of Charlotte.

A private family graveside service will be held at Catawba Memorial Park with Reverend Fred Thompson officiating. A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.

Memorial gifts may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Western North Carolina, www.alz.org/northcarolina or the UCHS Foundation Employee Assistance Fund--Abernethy Laurels, www.abernethylaurels.org