Milton And Mary Rea

Milton Rea and Mary (nee Andrews) Rea, of Dothan, Alabama. They are survived by their children, Andrea Rea, James Rea, and Evan (Lynette) Rea and cherished grandchildren Kayla, Alyson, James, and Tyler Rea.

Milton Rea was born November 19, 1922, and died December 10, 2020. He was the son of James and Bertha (nee Sayre) Rea; beloved brother of the late Harold (late Elsie) Rea.

Mary Rea was born September 10, 1927, and died August 9, 2022; loving daughter of Brewster and Mary (nee Berger) Andrews; loving step daughter of Louise Andrews; beloved sister of the late Brewster (June) Andrews.

Milton grew up in Hartford, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. He served in the United States Navy during World War 2, aboard the PC487 sub-chaser. He also later served during the Korean War. He worked in marketing research for Interlake Steel in Chicago, and then also worked in the dark room for the Star Newspaper. He was an avid photographer of landscape scenes, taking pictures all over the USA. He enjoyed displaying his work at local art fairs throughout the Chicago area. He loved to go boating and fishing, often taking Florida vacations so he could fish for speckled trout. He loved listening to music, particularly big band music. He loved reading the newspaper and doing crossword puzzles. He was a brilliant man with a great mind for math and trivia. He also loved cats, in particular his Daisy Blu. He could remember limericks from way back when, and he loved telling them to his family and friends. He enjoyed collecting US stamps, particularly those with nature scenes, and anything Americana. At one point in his life, he traced his genealogy back many generations.

Mary grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. A self-professed “Tomboy”, she loved getting dirty rather than playing with dolls. As a kid, she had an incredible talent for playing the piano. Her talent led her to Auburn University where she was part of the first graduating class of music majors. As an adult, she was a sought-after piano teacher, teaching hundreds of children during her lifetime. The legacy of her work lives on in anyone who took lessons from her. She was more than just a piano teacher to her students. In many cases, she was like a second mother to them. She cherished her students and loved receiving letters from them when they grew into adults. She was active in teaching organizations in Illinois, helping to create the first syllabus for the Illinois State Music Teachers Association, a collaborative task that took years. In addition to music, she very much enjoyed cooking. Raised in the south, if you came to her house for any reason, you were going to have a hot cooked meal. She was as selfless as they come. She was a care-taker for her mother and step mother Louise in their later years. She also enjoyed keeping up with the news, following every political detail of current events. She enjoyed researching a healthy life style, often sharing her findings with her family.

Milton and Mary. Mary and Milton. That’s how they were. You couldn’t think of one without the other. Always together. Literally. Mary once said that she knew Milton was the man for her because she could never imagine saying “bye” to him. It was a “love at first sight” kind of thing. They both attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now called Auburn University). Milton met Mary while she was practicing the piano, and the rest is history. They were married on June 7th, 1947 when Mary was 19 and Milton was 24. Soon thereafter, they had Andrea and Jim. They enjoyed watching Andrea run track and Jim pitch in little league. Quite a few years later, Evan was born. They enjoyed following Evan’s musical interests as a child and an adult, attending many of his performances. They were both very loving parents, always putting family first and encouraging their children to be the very best versions of themselves. Mary took care of Milton when he became ill. She never left his side. In their later years, they enjoyed going to their grandchildren’s activities. Their grandchildren brought them so much joy. As recently as a few weeks ago, Mary was seen attending her grandsons’ baseball games, sitting right in the front, cheering on the entire team. After Milton passed in 2020, Mary stayed frequently at Evan’s house in Frankfort, Illinois. She spent many late nights snacking with Alyson in the kitchen, and having deep conversations in her room with Kayla. Both Milton and Mary will be deeply missed. Their legacy lives on in their children and grandchildren. They were married for 73 years, and were a perfect example of what love is.

A celebration of Milton and Mary’s life will be held at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 65 Old Frankfort Way, Frankfort IL 60423 on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, from 3:00 PM until 8:00 PM with a funeral service in the funeral home chapel at 8:00 PM. Visitation will be held also on Thursday, August 18, 2022, in the funeral home chapel from 8:00 AM until 9:00 AM leaving for a procession to Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, in Elwood. In lieu of flowers memorial donations to the Red Cross (https://www.redcross.org) or the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org) would be appreciated