David Arthur Reese

REESE, David Arthur, age 76, passed away peacefully in his home in Morgantown, WV on February 4, 2021, with his loving wife, Donna, by his side.

David was born in Maidsville, WV on May 22, 1944. He was a 1962 graduate of University High School where he excelled in sports and drama. He went on to earn his Bachelors of Science (Biology) from West Virginia University. David was a man of many talents. Early in his career, he was able to share his enthusiasm for education as a high school science teacher for several years in Ohio and West Virginia. He came back to Morgantown and was a railman in the coal mines, eventually promoted to safety inspector. He worked in the mines for over a decade and was a proud member of United Mine Workers of America. Later, Dave opened Nicola’s Restaurant in Downtown Morgantown in the 1980s where he was also the manager and cook. He was a sales associate at Montgomery Ward, a United States Postal Worker for many years, and retired from Medicine Materials Management at West Virginia University Hospitals in the early 2000s.

David was an avid runner for many years, jogging from home to his job at the mines, and back again after work. In his later years, David could be spotted walking from Westover to Downtown Morgantown and back in his infamous cut-off sleeve hospital scrub shirt. He was a die-hard WVU sports fan, through the good seasons and bad. He loved baking Christmas cookies each year, was an avid reader, was passionate about politics and political history.

Above all, David was defined by his love for his family. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Donna Lee Reese (Thies), his three sons David (Terra), Derek (Annie), and Danin (Danielle), his 6 grandchildren (Oleda, Lilienne, Mallory, Lucas, Charles and Juniper) and his siblings James (Elizabeth) and Patricia; His many cousins, nieces and nephews; his dog Darby, and his many grand dogs. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. David Cyrus Reese and Mrs. Virginia Lea Reese (Stewart) and his baby sister Brenda Jean Friend (Ronald).

The family will receive friends on Monday February 22, 2021, at the Fred L. Jenkins Funeral Home from 11 AM until time of services at 1PM. All visitors and guests will be asked to properly wear a face covering, socially distance, and limit their time to no more than 15 minutes. Burial will follow at Beverly Hills Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, please help David’s generosity to continue by considering a donation in his honor to the Shack Neighborhood House, Scott’s Run Settlement House, or similar organization geared toward serving youth and families in need in our region.