Charles R Reeves

Charles R. “Dick” Reeves, 88, died under hospice care on October 11, 2020, in Williamsburg, VA, after an extended illness. He is survived by his daughter, Diane Reeves of Williamsburg; son, Douglas Reeves and wife Cynthia, of Wayne, PA; grandchildren, Elizabeth and Christopher; brother, Robert Reeves and wife Janet, of Cincinnati, OH; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his cherished wife of 58 years, Dorothy, in 2013. In 1932, Dick was born in Columbus, OH, to the late Charles V. and Amelia M. Reeves and lived in Toledo and Akron before moving to Wheeling, WVA. There he graduated from Triadelphia High School in 1950. He earned an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University School of Speech in 1954, and in 1955, he married Dorothy. After serving in the U.S. Army in 1955 and in 1956 in Fort Knox, KY, he started his radio career at Wheeling’s WWVA/AM Radio in 1957. When he won a CBS Foundation Fellowship to Manhattan’s Columbia University in 1959, Dick, Dorothy and their two children relocated to New York City, after which Dick began a 34-year career at CBS News. During his time at CBS, Dick was a radio news writer, street reporter and anchor for WCBS/AM Radio in New York, as well as a founding member of the management team that designed and started the all-news CBS Radio format in 1967. In addition, he was a producer, executive producer, writer, broadcaster and reporter, covering assignments globally and nationally, including Presidential trips, funerals for heads of state, political conventions and other special events. He was also a producer of the CBS/TV Morning News with Hughes Rudd. Radio broadcasts he worked on won three Peabody Awards, as well as Ohio State and other prominent industry awards. After moving from New York City, Dick and Dorothy raised their family in northern New Jersey, where they lived from 1963 to 1994, before retiring to Williamsburg. Here they became active members of their new community for nearly 20 years. Dick’s activities included those as a vital member of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, an avid Ham Radio and Healing Harmonicas club participant, and a sometime instructor of Christopher Wren courses about the media. Along with Dorothy, he became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer, working with the local Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on cases of abused and neglected children. At the request of James City County Social Services, they created a book about adopting victims of abuse and neglect, Adoption … A New Step in Life (@2007). In addition to his extensive professional resume and dedicated social involvement, Dick Reeves was an exceedingly kind, soft-spoken gentleman, with a disarming smile and keen sense of humor. Among other things, he loved listening to Bach and Jazz, spending time with his family, reading the newspaper, traveling the world, enjoying the quiet of the woods, doing crossword puzzles, swimming at the Maine seashore, watching sports and entertaining certain small dogs. His special presence, gifted writing style and mellifluous voice will be greatly missed by many, near and far. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 612 Jamestown Rd., Williamsburg, VA 23185 (www.saintlutheran.net) or Save the Children Fund, 501 Kings Hwy E, Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06825 (www.savethechildren.org). Final arrangements are pending.