James "Jim" Reece - Obituary

ames Kenyon Reece - known affectionately as 'Jim' by friends and family, and 'Jim Jim' by his grandchildren - passed away on February 2nd, just shy of his 89th birthday. Born in Fort Dodge, IA in 1936, Jim spent his youth in the Midwest before finishing high school at Baltimore City College. After a stint at Gettysburg College exploring a future in ministry, he ditched a collar for a cockpit, entering the Naval Cadet aviator pipeline in September of 1956. Jim earned his wings of gold in 1958 and was commissioned a Marine second lieutenant before shipping off to VMA-223 in El Toro, CA. After returning to Maryland in 1960, Jim entered the Marine Reserves and pinned on captain's bars while still flying with VMF-321 out of Andrews AFB. The noise of Jim's high-speed, low-altitude drill-weekend runs over early-1960s Severna Park was eclipsed only by his voice belting out the Marine Hymn for the last forty-five years at McGarvey's annual birthday celebration. In 2022, Jim held the distinct honor as the oldest Marine in attendance. Jim's lanky physique made him a natural fit for the pole vault, and despite being a self-proclaimed "rock" in the pool, he was a competitive diver in high school. In fact, he was a waterman most of his life, and was happiest on a boat. But absent a boat or a friend with a boat, Jim would settle for a few weekly trips to the Annapolis Yacht Club, where he was a member for nearly 40 years. Live music sweetened the deal, as he and wife Nancy would often dance the night away while their youngest watched from a car seat perched in the corner. Jim was a consummate professional on the dance floor and his formal training was always on display. After his time in the Corps, Jim's undeniable charm helped him cultivate a new career, following in his father's footsteps as a traveling salesman for Buster Brown Shoe Co. He and Nancy later opened three shoe stores in the area, but as the market changed, Jim found success in real estate development and home sales. His innate desire to help others not only brought him success until health issues forced his retirement, but Jim's commitment to service manifested itself in more than just work. He served time on the board of Saint Martin's School in Annapolis, had fond memories of his time coaching his son Jeff's baseball team, was the driver behind Re/Max's Toys for Tots throughout Annapolis, and sponsored scores of midshipmen for over 30 years. Jim was an undeniable extrovert and recharged through meet-ups with friends over lunch or drinks in downtown Annapolis. But even more than his affection for the wide group of friends he developed in over a half-century of Annapolis living, Jim cherished his four children and loved watching them mature. He would often call for a casual chat, even if just to leave a humorous voicemail, and took great pleasure in the adults each grew up to be. As Jim grew older himself, he found joy in a new role: grandfather. Maintaining his youthful persona until the very end, he rejected the insinuation associated with "grandpa," preferring "Jim Jim" instead. And rarely could he be seen with a bigger grin than the radiating smile revealed while watching his grandkids' sporting events, school plays, and dance competitions. Jim leaves behind his widow Nancy; children Jeff (Bonnie), Kimberly, and Jamie (Josh); five grandchildren; sister Suzi; and countless cousins, nieces, and nephews who adored him. He was predeceased by his parents, Glenn and Theresa Reece, brother Richard, sister Janet, and daughter Tebra. A celebration of his life will be held on Tuesday, February 18th, from 10 am until his funeral service begins at 11 am at Annapolis Evangelical Lutheran Church in Edgewater, and a follow-on reception at American Legion Post 226 from 2-4pm. If you would like to share photos or stories of Jim's life, please email them to jimreecememorial@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, Jim's family requests you please make a donation in his name to St. Jude's Hospital or Shriner's Children's Hospital. Please leave a condolence for the family by signing the guestbook at the Memories tab located on the left side of this page.