Clarice Marie Walker Reese's Obituary
Clarice Marie Walker Reese, our beautiful mother, grandmother and great grandmother passed away on August 11, 2022, at 94 years old, surrounded by her five living children. She was born in Redmesa, Colorado, on March 12, 1928, to Irma Taylor and Walter Noah Walker. At age six she moved to Provo, Utah where in due course she met her husband, L. Grant Reese at BYU. They met on the first day of the quarter and married on the last, December 15, 1950, in the Salt Lake City Temple.
She excelled as a homemaker and always served homemade bread with well-balanced and nutritious meals, maintained a clean and organized home and often sewed clothes for her family, including Grants academic robes. She served as a voting judge, volunteered at the Crisis Help Line, assisted at the library for many years and crocheted winter hats for the needy.
Grant’s professional career allowed opportunities for their family to live in Washington, Mexico, Florida, and Tennessee but finally returned to Logan, UT where she lived until after Grant’s death. For the remainder of her life, she lived close to her children in Sandy, UT.
Clarice had broad interests. She was fiercely independent and practical minded. She enjoyed camping, fishing, and golfing with her family, even going hunting occasionally, but also enjoyed participating in The Red Hot Chili Pepper Club and various book groups over the years. She liked working with her hands and crocheted, knitted, and used up scraps of fabric making quilts. She hosted faculty parties, loved to dance, was a life-long card player, reader, and player of word games.
Clarice loved music, earning her own music lessons as a girl by scrubbing the piano teacher’s floors and playing tenor saxophone in school. She also enjoyed singing in church groups. She made sure all of her children learned to play a musical instrument. Grant and Clarice loved to travel and traveled in five of the seven continents. She continued to travel with her siblings and children after Grant’s passing until she was physically unable.
She is survived by her son Thomas L. Reese, her daughters Anne Marie Rhys and Christine Reese, and sons Robert O. Reese and Richard E. Reese, ten grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. She was the last surviving sibling in her family of six. She was preceded in death by her husband L. Grant Reese and second son, Steven L Reese.
A memorial service will be held at the church at 89 East 11000 South, Sandy, Utah, on August 19th, 2022 at noon. A viewing will begin at 10:30 on Friday.
On Saturday, August 20th, 11:00 AM, a graveside service will be held at the Logan Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers donations may be given to the Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Special Olympics or Utah Parent Center in Murray.
What’s your fondest memory of Clarice?
What’s a lesson you learned from Clarice?
Share a story where Clarice's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Clarice you’ll never forget.
How did Clarice make you smile?
