Dorothy Belle Reese

Dorothy Harmon Reese, 85, passed away on February 16, 2015 at Baptist South Hospital, Jacksonville, FL. She was born in Fowler, Kansas on February 1, 1930. She moved back to Jacksonville in June of 2013 from Seminole, FL., was a member of Disciples of Christ Church, the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, MU State Upsilon Chapter. Her entire professional life she advocated for equal education for all children, regardless of mental, physical or intellectual challenges. She worked closely with Governor Reubin Askew, Congress and the Office of Public Education in the creation of P.L. 94-142. When it was passed in 1975, P.L. 94-142 guaranteed a free appropriate public education to each child with a disability. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Harry Herschel & Edith (Miller) Harmon, daughter, Edith Margolies, brother, Horace Harmon, sister, Marjorie Holmes and great-grandchild Tara Ball. She is survived by daughters, Virginia Bryant & Patricia Harrell; brother, Crawford Harmon; sister, Laura Woolwine; grandchildren, Laura Beth Sullivan, Thomas Kenneth Reese, Forrest William Harrell and great-grandchild Ryan Ball and great-great-grandchild Kaiden. In lieu of flowers, she asks those who wish to make a donation to go to WWW.specialolympics.org., click on ways to donate, scroll down to tributes & Memorial gifts, click on it to make an online donation or print a form to mail a donation.