Anna Mae Reese

Anna Mae Reese, a warm and wonderful beacon of hope and pillar of strength and stability passed away on April 3, 2025 in Concord Ohio. Born September 3, 1929 in North Lima Ohio, she progressed through life centered on her family, first as a loving daughter to her parents and sister to three sisters, then as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Anna Mae's journey through 95 years saw a lot of hard work, starting as a child in the Depression, then as the first college graduate in her family, leading to a 25-year career as a teacher. Even in retirement, she helped husband Robert start a small business, and then with full retirement, she was a caretaker for Robert, helping him through his trials of health and disability. When he passed in 2010, she settled into a quiet life at home, with finally enough time to read and knit as much as she liked.
Anna Mae is survived by her children Randall (Laura) Reese, Lynn (Steve) Updike, Leslie (John) Maul, sister Alice, seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by husband Robert, parents Port and Elta (née Leinbach) Mellinger, sisters Jean and Eunice and granddaughter Amy. A longtime member of Painesville United Methodist Church, she shared her faith with a gracious heart.
Visitation will be Saturday, March 5, 2025 from 10am until the funeral service at 11:00a.m. at Johnson Funeral Home & Crematory, 368 Mentor Ave., Painesville, Ohio 44077. Entombment will follow in Western Reserve Memorial Gardens, Chesterland, Ohio. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Anna, please visit our Tree Store.