Jean Reidinger

On June 5, 2025, Ruby Jean Bulman Reidinger passed peacefully in her sleep and was welcomed into the arms of her Heavenly Father and reunited with her two sons, Joshua Layne Reidinger and David Andrew Reidinger, who preceded her in death.

The banner over Jean’s life was love. Her first and greatest love was for her Savior, Jesus Christ, and that relationship compelled her overflowing love for her family and friends. Born in 1945 as an identical twin with Jane Bulman Creel, Jean was raised to know and love the Lord by her parents, George W and Ruby Bulman. Jean and Jane shared the closest of bonds as twin sisters, even dressing alike for their 80th birthday. From the time of their birth to Jean’s final moments on earth, Jane was a devoted sister and lovingly cared for Jean until she entered her eternal rest.

Jean married Larry Reidinger in 1966 and they shared 58 years together, modeling the commitment and sacrifice of Christian marriage, just as Christ loves the Church. Together they lived a life of service and generosity. Early in their marriage and before they became parents of their own, Larry and Jean took in several children who were in need of parental support and loved them as their own. As the years went on, many people would look to Jean as a beloved mother figure in their lives.

Jean’s most defining act of love was that of being a mother. From an early age, she longed to be a mother and after years of infertility, she was blessed with two sons, Josh and David, just 18 months apart. She relished her role as their mother and she was forever grateful for the gift of their lives. She raised them to know and love the Lord, served them joyfully, and as she often said, loved them from an overflowing heart. She added to her children when Josh married Whitney King Reidinger in 1999, loving her fully as a daughter and sharing a very special relationship.

The joy of being a mother expanded with the gift of becoming a grandmother to Ellen, Camille and JC Reidinger and Chloe Patterson. Nothing brought more joy, laughter and fullness to Jean’s life than to be in the presence of her grandchildren. Her legacy of love left an indelible mark on their lives.

For most of her adult life, Jean endured suffering in her physical body, but did so with remarkable joy and without complaint. In 1984, she was given a terminal breast cancer diagnosis and six months to live. Jean possessed a strong will to live and desire to continue caring for her family and together with intense cancer treatment, God provided miraculous healing for her. During that time, she ministered to fellow cancer patients and later volunteered for the American Cancer Society. Her health journey would not end there, with another breast cancer diagnosis in 1999, a near fatal heart event in 2016, open heart surgery in 2021, and recurring bouts with bladder cancer. With every health event, she trusted the Lord with her life, knowing her days were ordained, and He graciously provided healing and a long, full life.

Jean invested her heart in people, and her life was measured by the many relationships she shared with family and friends. She deeply desired the Lord’s guidance and will for her life and she cultivated relationships for His glory wherever the Lord led her. In her early years of marriage and raising a family, those relationships were naturally developed in her church and community. Jean and Larry went on to own a furniture store for 20 years where they had many repeat customers who became friends. Later, she would become a fixture at Tricia’s Treasures antique store where Jean worked for 15 years, using her gifts of kindness, genuine care and a listening ear to help people feel deeply known and valued. Jean was well loved because she loved so well.

A worship service to give thanks for Jean’s life in Christ will be held at Redeemer Community Church (4002 4th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35222) on Friday, June 13th, at 3 PM with a reception following the service to visit with the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts to be made in Jean’s memory to Alabama Baptist Children’s Home (2681 Rocky Ridge Lane, Birmingham, AL 35216)