Lucy Elizabeth Valaer Reeder

On December 30th, 2021, Lucy Elizabeth Reeder (Valaer) passed from this life to the life of eternal Love. She was born on September 6th, 1947, in Washington, D.C. to Peter and Lucy Valaer, the first of ten siblings. She grew-up in D.C., Cincinnati, OH, and Rockville, MD. After high school, she met and married the love of her life, Terry Reeder, a U.S. Navy Officer.

After their time in the Navy, they made their home in Fredericksburg, VA, where they raised their children and built a life of love and family. Lucy was a gifted floral designer, where she worked for Flowers by Ross and won many design awards.

She was passionate about liberal politics, Native American concerns, gardening, digging in the dirt, and in “things that grow,” especially her beloved plants and flowers, not to mention her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In retirement, Lucy and Terry moved to a farm in rural Ararat, VA, where she had more space to garden and more space for her grandchildren to wonder and roam.

Above all, Lucy loved her husband, Terry, whom she lost 5 and a half years ago to Alzheimer’s disease. Her family gives thanks that Lucy and Terry are now reunited in loving, mystic, sweet communion forever because, as they were fond of saying, “Matter is never destroyed, only changed.”

Lucy was predeceased by her parents, her husband of 49 years, Terry, and her brother Paul Valaer. She is survived by her five adult children, Patty Gomez (Luis), Lucy Brickey (Andy), Thomas Reeder (DeeAnn), Laura Marshall (Dave), and Benjamin Reeder (Kaori), as well as 15 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, 4 brothers and 4 sisters, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

All services have been postponed at this time.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Lakota Nation in care of the Re-Member Project, PO Box 5054

Pine Ridge, SD 57770, or to the Intensive Care Unit at Northern Regional Hospital, 30 Rockford Street, Mount Airy, NC 27030.