Linda Lee Reese

On June 29, 2015, longtime Milwaukie resident Linda Lee Reese (née Loomis) died in her home of complications related to kidney disease.

At 2pm on July 18, Linda's family and friends will hold a celebration of life at her daughter Melissa's home at 44574 SE Coalman Road in Sandy, Oregon.  This event will be in accord with the wishes Linda expressed in her will for "a memorial service in the form of a party.  Please celebrate my life as I did. . . .  Play music that I liked and talk to one another about me and the good things we did together.  And about how I screwed something up being stupid or absolutely brainless.  I was way easy on all of you, so laugh, and drink, and eat (something yummy) and tell remembrances.  I know I left you all with at least one thing that I did that you can laugh about and share."  Please come and join us for this gathering.  In addition, we encourage you to use this website to share stories and photos of Linda.

Born in Portland in 1949, Linda was the eldest child of Dorothy and Harry Loomis.  Her childhood was not an idyllic one, and she had a surprising amount of responsibility for a small person.  Her mother died shortly after giving birth to her youngest brother Lonnie, and Linda had to help take care of her brothers Larry and Lonnie.  In 1961 the three children were adopted by their maternal grandparents, Roy and Ella Beach.

Linda graduated from Cleveland High School in 1968, and the years that followed were among the happiest of her life.  After graduation, she shared an apartment with two close friends, Vickie and Darlene, and the trio had all sorts of fun.  In 1969 Linda traveled to Hawaii to marry a fellow Cleveland graduate, David Reese.  Linda and David were a beautiful couple with an active social life.  They bought a house soon after marrying and started a family a few years later: their children, Michael and Melissa were born in 1972 and 1973.  Linda and David separated in 1982 and divorced in 1984, but they shared joint custody of their children after that.

Although Linda was a multifaceted person, her devotion to her children and her grandchildren were the central threads running through the tapestry of her life.  While she held several jobs, Linda would undoubtedly say that she was first and foremost a mom and a grandmother.  She wrote, "I was most fortunate to have two children that were my world.  They made it wonderful, satisfying, and oh so joyous!  I can't think of anything more perfect to wish for in a lifetime.  I consider them work well done."  Her grandsons, Logan and Malcolm were born in 2006 and 2012, and they brightened her later years.  Even when she was very ill and struggled to get out of bed, she always found the energy to play with Malcolm and Logan.  She loved showing those boys new things and making them laugh!

She also enjoyed chatting with friends, reading thrillers, cooking up a storm, and trying to watch every film ever made.  She was passionate about movies, and her brain was an encyclopedia of actors, actresses, and directors.  In addition, Linda was very proud to be an Oregonian.  She didn't travel much beyond the state, but she visited almost every corner of Oregon.  She loved camping at Prineville Reservoir, picking peaches at Hood River, and visiting the coast.  She was a loyal friend and had many decades-long friendships.  During her later years, her friends Virginia Roman, John Kouba, and especially Darla Pullin supported Linda in many ways: they drove her to dialysis, to medical appointments, and to the hospital; they visited and chatted on the phone; and most of all they listened and kept her spirits up.

Linda held several jobs during her life.  She worked at the Safeway Bakery when she was younger, and she later tended bar at the Bear Paw Inn and several other establishments on Milwaukie Avenue.  However, her favorite job was probably at Chrisman's Frame Shop.  She had a real eye and heart for the work: she enjoyed helping customers and the occasional artist select framing materials, cut mats, and fit and finish the frames.  Linda had had long appreciated art and painting, and this position was a natural fit for her.

Life was rarely easy for Linda.  Her childhood was not a storybook, she struggled with substance abuse issues as an adult, and she spent her last five years in a constant battle with kidney disease.  Though she walked some tough roads, Linda was definitely not a dark or bitter person.  She had an undeniable lightness and brightness of spirit, she overcame adversity, and most of all she knew how to laugh and make others laugh.  She said, "I know the people I loved, loved me back.  What more is there?"