Harriet Ruth Reese

Harriet Ruth Reese, 81, of Wooster, died unexpected on Monday, April 25, 2016 at Wooster Community Hospital.

Harriet was born March 7, 1935 in Akron to Thomas Peter and Dorothy Mae Sutliff Reese and graduated from Creston High School in 1953. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1957 and later received her masters degree from the University of Northern Colorado. Miss Reese taught school for 10 years in Wadsworth and later taught for 20 years in Boulder, Colorado having taught elementary grades as well as special education and the mentally and physically handicapped. Harriet also worked part time dog sitting in the Denver area.

She was a member of the Smithville United Methodist Church, the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Colorado Alliance on Mental Illness and the Bolder Colorado Alliance on Mental Illness. Harriet struggled 1/2 of her life fighting mental illness and enjoyed reading, gardening, fishing, painting, swimming and talking with family and friends. She also raised Scottie Dogs over the years.

Preceded in death by her brothers, Donald and Roger Reese and sisters, Marjorie Coffey, Sally Sloan, and Nancy Reese; surviving are her sisters, Patty Miller of New Albany and Judith Reese of Wooster; her brother Carl “Skip” Reese of Knoxville, TN, and nieces and nephews.

Services will be Friday at 11:00 a.m. at Smithville United Methodist Church with Rev. Carolyn Berry officiating. Friends may call from 10:00 a.m. until time services on Friday at the church. Family interment services will be held at Creston Maple Mound Cemetery. Tributes may be shared at www.Murray-Funeral-Home.com Memorials may be made to Smithville United Methodist Church, 234 N. Milton St., Box 375, Smithville, OH 44677.

The family wishes to thank the staff and care givers of West View Healthy Living for their considerate care over the past three years.