George Reese

Obituary of George Reese George Reese, 94, passed away peacefully at the Jean Waddle Care Center, Somerset, KY, January 3, 2020. He was predeceased in 2017 by his wife of 71 years, Mabel Reese. He is survived by daughters JoAnn (Shiva Kumar) Emerich, of Nashville, TN, Sherri (Joe LaMay), Reese of Somerset, KY, grandchildren Kristin Koval, of Nashville, TN, Jeremy (Joey) Koval, Menifee, CA, Shawna (Josh) Bennett, Maricopa, AZ and Devon (Anne) Hainey, Easton, MD. Greatgrandchildren Colin, Jacob, Ryan, Lillie, Emma, Taylor, Kash and Keen. George was a Navy Seabee veteran of WWII, serving in France, Italy and North Africa. He was very proud of his military service and loved showing his photo albums of his adventures during that time. He was born in Fulton, NY, where he lived until moving to Somerset, KY in 2005. While in NY, he was a dedicated member of the Central NY Bluegrass Association and an avid musician, known for his distinctive guitar picking style, making fans wherever he went. He is remembered as an inspirational mentor to numerous young musicians who have gone on to successful music careers. When he relocated to Somerset, he became a founding member of The Lake Cumberland Jammers. His self-deprecating sense of humor and quick comebacks endeared him to anyone he met. In recent years he dearly missed trading insults with his friends at Kroger South, Pulaski County Public Library and L&N Federal Credit Union. More recently, he enjoyed giving the staff at the Highlands and VA Home Care team daily doses of his humor. A memorial service was held at Carnegie Community Arts Center, 107 N. Main St., Somerset, KY, on March 21, 2020. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Hospice of Lake Cumberland. A graveside service with military honors will be held on Friday, June 25, 2021 at 2:00 pm in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Western (across street from Mt. Pleasant UMC, 2819 County Route 45).