Donald Reeves

Obituaries

Tuesday, 17 January 2023 12:59

Col. Chaplin Donald De. Reeves, United States Air Force (retired), 83, peacefully passed away on Thursday, January 5, 2022 with his wife by his side. A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Macklin Baptist Church, led by beloved friends, Rev. Dr. Roy Hall, Rev. Dr. Dan West. An application has been submitted to Arlington National Cemetery.

Don was a native Tennessean and proud ancestral nephew of Col. Davy Crockett. He played basketball at Baylor University, majoring in English and Religion. He received his Bachelor’s from Bethel University in 1961. He went on to receive his Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University in 1976 and was ordained by the Obion County, Tennessee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He served over 22 years in the United States Air Force while being awarded numerous honors and medals before his retirement. Don was a Presbyterian minister for nearly 60 years, serving several churches across the Tennessee valley before retiring.

If you had the pleasure of knowing Don, you knew he enjoyed life to the fullest while serving God, his country, community and family. Don’s favorite quote was, “The only real security is learning to live with insecurity.” If you didn’t know him, he was a great writer, philosopher and full of tomfoolery. He would say Davy shot the bear, and he shot the bull.

Som of his accomplishments include: featured articles in the Nashville Tennessean; annual recipient of 3-star Award for outstanding letter-to-the-editor writing for eight consecutive years; former weekly columnist of McKenzie Banner and Scottsboro Daily Sentinel; United Methodist Publishing House: Church school curriculum; featured articles in the Progressive Farmer and the Cumberland Presbyterian; United States Air Force Chaplain Service: editor/writer for three USAF chiefs of chaplaincy; names NACC Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (2004); named Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year (2005); represented Tennessee in 1996, all-age, national 3-point shootout in Chicago; author and Pulitzer Prize nominee for Letters to the Lord; Learning to Live in My World of Wars (2009 pub.)

He leaves behind his wife, Jene Reeves; son, David Reeves; daughters, Dawn (Bill) Cattaneo, Heather Satterwhite, Danielle (Todd) Anderson, Ashley Givens; 11 grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the general scholarship fund at Northeast Alabama Community College, P.O. Box 159, Rainsville, Alabama.