Michael K. Reese

Michael K. Reese 8-1-1943 to 3-19-2014 Mike Reese, a resident of Wenatchee for the past 35 years, passed away peacefully and unexpectedly during his sleep in the early morning hours Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at the age of 70. He was born in Provo, Utah on August 1, 1943 to Roy and Afton Reese. Mike grew up in Portland, OR. He started work as a young boy on a cattle ranch near Portland tending to cows and working the hay harvest. Mike attended schools in Portland, graduating from Jefferson High School in 1961. A few months after graduation, in January of 1962, he joined the U.S. Air Force and served 4 years during the Vietnam era. He was stationed out of Larson Air Force Base in Moses Lake as an aircraft maintenance mechanic and was honorably discharged in January 1966. He also served two years in reserve duty. Shortly after his term of service, Mike married his first wife Raven and they had one son, Ralph. The family settled in the Aloha, OR. area where he was a truck driver delivering freight to the surrounding Portland area. He later moved to Ephrata, divorced, and had the opportunity to buy into his former father-in-law’s fire protection service business. He then decided to operate his company from Wenatchee where he owned and operated Central Washington Fire Protection Co. for 30 years. One year prior to retirement, he sold his business to a local company and had been retired for the last 5 years. During his early years in Wenatchee, Mike was involved with the Apple Blossom Festival float crew and helped build and drove numerous floats in parades for several years. It was during one of the ABF’s casino night fund raising events that he met his sweetheart, Jennifer Manley, and they were married on September 11, 1982. Mike and Jennifer were blessed with one daughter, Michelle. They had been married for 31 years. Mike was a people person who loved to share a witty remark, good joke, and had a very sarcastic sense of humor. He had an extremely strong work ethic as an independent small business owner, and was always available to help out a friend with a project. He enjoyed disco dancing, family outings on his boat, fishing, liked to stay busy with home projects, and was an avid Nascar fan. During his retirement he became a talented woodworker and built numerous hand crafted furniture items for his wife and daughter. Mike was preceded in death by his father, Roy Reese; his mother, Afton Dess; his brother, Howard Reese; nephew, Danny Brewer, and brother-in-law, Robert Manley. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Reese of Wenatchee; his daughter, Michelle Reese of Tacoma; mother and father-in-law, Charlotte and Harold Manley of Wenatchee; son and daughter-in-law, Ralph and Kolette Reese of Beaverton; sister, Karla Brewer of Vancouver; sister and brother-in-law, Sharan and Bill Hoffman of Portland, and numerous nieces and nephews. Donations in Mike’s memory can be made to the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. A private gathering of friends and family to celebrate Mike’s life will be held later this spring. Please express your thoughts and memories on the online guest book at jonesjonesbetts.com. Arrangements are by Jones & Jones-Betts Funeral Home.

Tributes

Michael K. Reese

August 1, 1943 - March 19, 2014