Mae Belle Calloway Reid

Born on August 9, 1930, in Foscoe, NC, Mae Belle was the eldest of twelve children born to the late Julius Calloway and Sabert Ward Calloway. Following the untimely passing of her mother at a young age, Mae Belle’s life was defined by an extraordinary capacity for loving service. She stepped into a maternal role, helping to raise and care for her many siblings—a responsibility she embraced with a maturity and devotion that set the stage for a lifetime of nurturing others.

Mae Belle was the true matriarch of the Reid family, defined by her loving heart and open door. While she was the proud mother of three natural children—Larry, Douglas, and Brenda—her maternal spirit knew no boundaries. She was a loving, caring mother to a vast extended family and community, which included welcoming her foster son, Tom Ben Wilcox, into her life and heart. She offered guidance, nourishment, and unconditional love to anyone in need of a mother’s touch.

For many decades, Mae Belle worked side-by-side with her beloved husband, Linville Coleman Reid, as a formidable and loving partner in life and business. Their entrepreneurial journey began in the 1950s with a boarding house, followed by the operation of Reid Oil Co. in Winston-Salem during the 1960s. Ever adaptable and hardworking, they became some of the first "DIY" house flippers; between 1971 and 1978, the couple bought, remodeled, and flipped ten houses along the Carolina Coast.

In 1978, Mae Belle’s journey came full circle when she and Linville transitioned from the coast back to her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains. They purchased the Hemlock Motel in Blowing Rock, NC, a venture that allowed Mae Belle to return to the mountain air and landscape she so dearly loved. Her hospitality at the Hemlock was legendary; she managed the motel with a loving touch, treating every guest like a member of her own family.

Those who knew Mae Belle will remember her most for her unwavering faith and the loving, quiet strength she offered to everyone around her. Having outlived her entire generation of siblings, she remained a bridge to the past and a beacon of wisdom for the future.

Mae Belle was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Linville Coleman Reid (2006); her son, Larry Coleman Reid (2005); her parents; and all eleven of her siblings.

She is survived by her son, Douglas Wayne Reid; her daughter, Brenda Reid (Bill) Priest; and her foster son, Tom Ben Wilcox. She also leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: James Coleman Reid, Sherry Julia Reid Smith, Dylan Reid, Stacy Reid Wall, Joshua Damian Priest, Brandon Michael Priest, and Dustin Wilcox; 17 beloved great-grandchildren; and 8 precious great-great-grandchildren, all of whom were the joy of her later years.

A celebration of Mae Belle's life will be held on Friday, February 6, 2026 at 4pm at Vogler Funeral Home at Forsyth Memorial Park. The family will receive friends for a visitation beginning at 2pm.

A private family burial will follow on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 3:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Cancer Research in Mae Belle’s honor, a cause chosen by her family to help others in their time of need.

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."

— Thomas Campbell