Dorthy Lela Reed (nee Price) daughter of the late Grace Roberts & John Price was born in Reynolds County, Missouri, on December 11, 1925. She departed this life at Saint Anthony’s Medical Center in Saint Louis, Missouri, on March 28, 2018 at the age of 92.
Dorthy was married to the late Raymond Reed for 35 years. She had 6 children, Sonny, Jeff, Deborah, Diana, George, and Rayetta. She was a lifelong member of Apostolic Pentecostal Church. Dorthy loved God and her family with all her heart. She was very dedicated and made many sacrifices for her family ensuring they knew she loved them.
My goodness was she a dedicated worker, during the 48 years she was in the workforce she managed to work for over 28 companies starting with Superior Laundry at 16. During WWII she was “Rosie the Riveter” working for Curtis-Wright riveting the wing flaps of B-52 Bombers, contributing to the war effort she worked for St. Louis Ordinance Plant as an inspector on tracer bullets. For 6 years (with 2 of her sisters that retired there) she worked for Wonder Bread Bakery. To list several more for posterity, she worked as a tailor for 3 different suit companies, labeled Southern Comfort Whiskey bottles, rolled Cigars for Cornelia Seed Co. She worked at X-cel Optical for 11 years starting at age 66, (WOW) filling optical lens orders, she was even a Police Officer for the City of Bunker, MO as Acting Chief. During the Oil Shale boom of the 80’s she was a guard at the Unocal Retort & Refinery Shale Oil Project managed by Exxon in Parachute, Colorado. She flagged traffic for the State of Colorado during the Hwy 70 Glenwood Springs Canyon expansion, she was your friendly Avon Lady, Mary Kay Lady, waitress, & barmaid. What a cool working life, full of diverse and interesting experiences.
After retiring she volunteered at Feed My People Thrift Store and Food Pantry for 26 years, from November 08, 1988 to December 14, 2014. Don’t forget to deduct three years during that time when she moved to Texas with her daughter Debbie, where she volunteered teaching the illiterate, and crocheting.
For hobbies WOW, also diverse, from deer and elk hunting in Aspen, Colorado (Woody Creek specifically) to avid fishing from Missouri to Michigan, Colorado, and Utah to name a few. She loved Bible study, sewing, crocheting, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, playing canasta, Mahjong, and even computer games in her 80’s. Pretty remarkable.
Dorthy is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one son, Sonny Bailey, one step-son, Donald Reed, one step-daughter Rosemary Ritter, her sisters, Ruby Radford, Shirley Jurisich, Georgia Webb, Rusty Harrison, one brother, Billy Price Sr., one son-in-law Larry Guidy, two grandsons, Joey Reed, Jesse Deleiko, and four nephews, Terry Harrison, Danny Harrison, Billy Price, Jr, & Marion ‘Herb’ Radford.
Dorthy is survived by her children , son Jeffery Deleiko Sr. and wife Marcia, daughter Deborah Guidy, daughter Diana Schmidt and husband William, son, George Reed, daughter Rayetta Forbes and Fiancée Guy Bohn, daughter-in-law Kathy Reed, grandchildren, Edward Reed, Christina Probst and husband Donnie, Tina Lawson and husband Tim, Christopher Schmidt Sr. and wife Catrina, Jason Deleiko and wife Christine, Jeffery Deleiko Jr. & wife Jenn, step-grandchildren Melvin Ritter and wife Linda, Melba Headrick and husband David, Donna Jo Reed-Jones and husband Donnie, and great grandchildren, Beth Schmidt, Christopher Schmidt Jr., Darren Lawson, and Amanda Lawson, Katie Dixon and husband Blake, Lane Rich, Mathew Rich, step-great grandchildren Keisha Meyer and husband Marty, Amanda Mathes and husband Wade, Ryan Ritter and wife April, great-great grandchildren, Josh Dixon, Blake Deleiko, Kaleigh Deleiko, step-great-great grandchild Tynleigh Reed, many nieces & nephews, her life-long church community, and friends.
Visitation: Tuesday April 3, 2018, 1 PM with Funeral Services following at 2 PM at Memorial Park Cemetery Chapel, 5200 Lucas & Hunt Rd. St. Louis, MO 63121 (314)389-3500
Minister: Pastor Michael Trammell, Bethel Pentecostal Church Arnold, Missouri