JOSEPH REYES Obituary

Name: Funeral Mass for JOSEPH REYES
Start: 2021-03-09T15:45:00.000Z
Location: St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church

JOSEPH A. REYES
Joseph A. Reyes, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather Joseph passed away peacefully on March 3, 2021 in his sleep at home in Potomac, Maryland at the age of 94, surrounded by family. Joseph was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by his children, J. Christopher Reyes (Anne), M. Jude Reyes (Lori), David K. Reyes (Pamela), William F. Reyes (Annie), John J. Reyes (Caroline), James V. Reyes (Jennifer), Thomas A. Reyes (Angela); and grandchildren, Stephen, Andrew, Carrie, Lilly, Jordan, Sara, Grace, Terese, Cameron, Camille, Joseph, Andrew, Jack, Audrey, Calvin, Maggie, Alex, GoGo, Theodore, Sebastian, Nick, Jane, Katherine, and Virginia, and one Great Grandson, Oliver. He was predeceased by his wife, Frances Collins Reyes, Son, Stephen Reyes and Daughter, Julia Reyes Taubman (Robert Taubman). A private funeral mass will be held for family at 10:45 a.m., Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church in Bethesda, Maryland, 9601 Old Georgetown Road. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name at Catholic Charities Archdicese of Washington, 924 G. Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001 or www. Catholiccharitiesdc.org.Please visit the guestbook at www.devolfuneralhome.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Washington Post from Mar. 6 to Mar. 8, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for JOSEPH REYES

13 Entries

Michael Ellis

February 7, 2022

Chris, Jude, Duke
Sorry to hear of the loss of your Dad. Time goes by fast but memories do live on. Thoughts and prayers to your entire family.

Michael E Ellis
St. Jane de Chantal Class of '69
Archbishop John Carroll HS Class of '73

Louis Caudill

March 26, 2021

What could I say about Joe. I became aware of Joe in 1952 when I joined VA-75, The Sunday Punchers at Quonset Pt. Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. Joe was sort of a squadron legend at that time,We went off to Korea on the Bonne Home Richardand I maned the phones in the ready room so I saw a lot of J. When the squadron got back from Korea I went back to Quonset point and or pilots went some where else, I was discharge in September on 53 and started college, graduated as an electronic engineer in 1957.and was employed at Westinghouse Air Arm Division in Baltimore Md. the first day at work I waist the cafaterea and Looked across the room and saw Joe and he also sam and the recognition was emediate. From the on there was a bond, we lunched together at a bar in Glen Burnie, and I have always remembered Joe coverig his hamburger with hot sauce. Our lives separated in 1961 when I left Westing House for NASA. We met again when Joe started hosting VA-75 get togethers usually dinner at a favorite restaurant oj Joe's. After that Joe would call me to meet for launch , I don't know how many times we met but it was always an adventure. Joe alway had a new story tell, a business venture, always unbelivable. The last time I had lunch with Joe was about 2018 Nd Joe said he was doing to be 90. Then the lunch calls stoped and I always thought the worse. I'll miss Joe, his energy, his always wanting to know more, and above all his kindness and friendship.

Lou
A Sunday Puncher

James Craig Wood

March 24, 2021

To me he was uncle Joe, my mother Irma’s big brother by 6 years. My mother idolized Joe growing up, so much so that I believe she married a man because he had the same qualities: leadership, humor, strength, family oriented, and a love of America. My dad Jack and Joe both served in times of war and became great friends. Over the years they would trade jokes back and forth using the ol fax machines. My dad was assigned to DC/the Pentagon in 1965-70 and our families grew very close. We loved going to the Reyes’. There was 4 of us kids and 8 Reyes kids at the time. I rem that house in Bethesda, the big kids were upstairs or playing hoops, the middle kids were somewhere else, and us lil kids had to find our own place being shewed away from the others. I never appreciated the Reyes’ more than that year 1968/9 when my dad went to Vietnam. I recall my mother often driving in the rain and slush to Bethesda from Fairfax when she probably shouldn’t have just so we could spend time in the blissful chaos that was the Reyes’s home. It helped us forget for a time the emptiness without our dad, the daily harrowing news of the war, the ongoing protests and anxiety in DC and around the country. Looking back it was then that Joe and Fran became second parents to me. We saw them infrequently after we moved to Fla in 70, but when ever we did there was warmth and smiles. I moved to Delaware in 97 the year my dad passed away and I would visit Joe and Fran on my yearly pilgrimage to Arlington. They always treated me like one of the family. Fran was an amazing person, I don’t how she kept up with everything she had to do to support that big family. I recall going to the Potomac house and Fran would make me homemade crab cakes while Joe and I plowed through the newspapers and bantered about everything, yes including religion and politics. In ‘07 after a tumultuous divorce I started a new life in Austin with just me and my 1 YO daughter, it was tough. Within months we were there at Joe and Fran’s annual family reunion in San Antonio. It was so good to see them and my fav cuz John, his wife Caroline and their children one of whom he told he named after my dad, his uncle Jack. I was “at home”, I knew everything was going to be all right. I was with my extended family again. As I grew older both my dad and Joe would reveal more of their great stories including their disappointments and regrets, they were hero’s to me but they were human. I felt like my dad died again when Joe passed. My mom is still going strong, but having great trouble w/memory. One day she’ll join my dad in Arlington and I’ll be able to pay respects to my parents there and in Potomac city. I love you Joe, love you Fran and on behalf of my siblings, Melissa, Joseph and my brother Kevin who passed away in ‘19, thank you for all those years of love, affection, and being such great role models to us all. Your nephew, Craig Wood

Billy Olson

March 23, 2021

Joe , was a force of nature. I first met him in the early ‘90s in Seville with his lovely wife Fran and he had such an aura that he left and indelible/enduring impression..RIP Anam Cara ...Billy Olson