Mary Jane Reeder

REEDER, MARY JANE - age 88, died on January 16, 2010 in Mount Pleasant, SC. Mary Jane was born December 6, 1921 in Knoxville, the only child of Charles and Helen Donaghy. An alumna of old Knoxville High School, she graduated from the University of Tennessee with a major in child development. At UT, she was an active member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, serving as Vice President. After her marriage to William H. Reeder, Jr. and the completion of his medical training, the couple returned to Knoxville in 1952, where he started a practice in internal medicine. Mary Jane held several positions in child welfare, before becoming a full-time mother and later a professional artisan. She started her own business, "Serendipity," designing and hand-crafting custom apparel, jewelry, soft sculpture, and one-of-a-kind old world St. Nicholases. In addition to her craft work, Mary Jane donated her time to local charities, including the Florence Crittenton Agency and Knoxville Habitat for Humanity. She had a leadership role in the planning and building of the original Pan-Hellenic Building at UT. She was an active member of Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church and served on the Board of Directors of Sequoyah Square Homeowners Association. Mary Jane moved to a retirement community near Charleston, South Carolina, in 2007 to be closer to her daughter. "Mimi" is survived by her two daughters, Becky Van Wie of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina and Linda Reeder of Leesburg, Virginia; grandsons Nic Van Wie of Austin, Texas; Greg Van Wie of Washington, DC; Doug Van Wie of Birmingham, Alabama; and Britton Reeder-Thompson and Ian Reeder-Thompson of Leesburg, Virginia. In accordance with her wishes, Mary Jane's remains were donated to the Medical University of South Carolina. A memorial service will be held in the Rodenburg Chapel at Franke at Seaside in Mount Pleasant on Saturday, January 30 at 10:30 AM. The family would like to thank the staff of Franke at Seaside for their attentive and compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Knoxville Habitat for Humanity, 1501 Washington Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37917; Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, 922 Delaware Avenue, Knoxville, Tennessee 37921; or Lutheran Homes Foundation (to support the subsidized resident care program at Franke at Seaside), 1885 Rifle Range Road, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464. Mary Jane will be remembered for her compassionate concern for others and generous, loving spirit, as well as her gracious and positive attitude.