Linda Reeves

With her loving family nearby, Linda Elaine Paulson Reeves, 78, died on May 18, 2016, at Aldersgate United Methodist Retirement Center. Born in Ridgewood, NJ on July 6, 1937, she was the daughter of the late Imogene and Frank Paulson. She graduated in 1955 from St. Andrews High School in Charleston, SC.

Linda graduated from Kansas State University in 1959, where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority, with a degree in Home Economics and a teaching certificate. Upon returning to Charleston to begin her teaching career, she met Chester Quillian Reeves, the love of her life and her husband for 53 years. She was a tireless supporter of his engineering career, which took them to Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC and Aiken, SC. Linda loved to travel abroad and in the U.S., and that included many trips to engineering conventions that they enjoyed together.

Linda was an extraordinary mother to her children Laura, Suzie and Bob. She was a caring, teaching, calm and thoughtful presence in their lives. She was blessed with and adored her eight grandchildren and delighted in their accomplishments. She loved gathering family together and created grand memories of rich times at the beach and the lake.

Raising her family in Charlotte for 25 years, she made many dear, lifelong friends from her neighborhood and Providence United Methodist Church. Linda and Chester then moved to Aiken for 20 years and again embraced the community, their church and made many new friends. One of her best qualities was introducing and uniting friends from different areas of her life and making everyone feel welcomed. An avid reader, and also a frequent writer of stories and poetry, her greatest passion while in Aiken was as leader of a large annual used book fair, with the proceeds benefiting a number of charities.

She loved playing bridge, attending church circle groups, and was involved in many clubs and charitable organizations. She was extremely skilled in her favorite hobbies - sewing, needlepoint, cooking, and craft projects. During her time at Aldersgate, she was an avid member of the basket-weaving group. Always upbeat and sincere, Linda will be remembered most for her kindness and unselfish nature.

Linda is survived by her husband, Chester Quillian Reeves; daughter, Laura Elizabeth Bartlett and her husband John of High Point, NC; daughter, Suzanne Louise Proctor and her husband Brian of Charlotte, NC; and son, Robert Franklin Reeves and his wife Karen of Buffalo, NY. Her grandchildren are Chandler Elaine Thompson, Reeves Joshua Thompson, John Thomas Bartlett, Chad Michael Bartlett, Jackson Reeves Proctor, Claire Louise Proctor, Allison Lynn Reeves and Adam Chester Reeves. She also leaves behind a brother, Loree Alan Dean Paulson and his wife Barbara of Buffalo, NY; a sister-in-law, Frances Reeves Drayton of Bishopville, SC; and a host of special cousins, nieces and nephews.

We wish to thank Linda's caregivers from Hospice & Palliative Care for allowing her to spend time at home near the end of her life. While Linda was often too ill to attend church with Chester recently, she treasured the new church home that they found in Myers Park United Methodist Church since returning to Charlotte three years ago.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Monday, May 23, 2016 at Aldersgate United Methodist Retirement Center, 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215.

Memorial contributions may be made to Aldersgate United Methodist Retirement Center or to Hospice & Palliative Care of Charlotte, 1420 East 7th St., Charlotte, NC 28204.