Obituary of Jean Ann Reimer

Jean Ann Reimer was born to Lyle and Eleanor Stokes in Newberg, OR on September 13, 1939. She died peacefully in her sleep on December 27, 2023. Most of her growing up years were in Albany, OR, graduating from Albany High School in 1957. From there she attended Seattle Pacific College (SPC), graduating with a major in elementary education in 1961. While at SPC she met her future husband, Thomas Reimer. He was attracted to her engaging personality, sense of humor, and musical talents. They were married for 62 years.

Jean began a teaching career in the Highline School District in Burien. She chose to quit that career when the first child was born into the family. With the exception of a brief stint as a kindergarten teacher and supervisor within a church, she was a stay-at-home mom until the children were out of high school.

After residing in Burien briefly, the family moved to Honolulu HI, Crescent City, CA for three years, and then were in Eugene, OR for over 30 years. After retiring, Tom and Jean moved to Edmonds, WA in 2002. Jean served in formal and informal leadership positions in every city where the family lived. On occasion she served as a staff member in churches and national women’s organizations, but usually in volunteer positions. When Thomas retired, they traveled to several nations, some on short term missions. She was gifted with a personality that also enabled her to minister to women throughout her adult life. She developed a lasting relationship with the ministering women they worked with in Albania, Belgium, Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Russia and Spain. She also had a special way of establishing a relationship with pastors’ wives wherever they lived.

Jean was usually not far into a conversation with an individual she had just met before she told that person of her deep love for Jesus. When talking with someone she often said, “What church do you attend?” If the response was something like, “I’m not attending right now,” she would invite them to her church. She was also an accomplished piano and organ accompanist, beginning as a pre-teen piano player in her home church in Albany. She continued that service as an adult in several churches until arthritic fingers forced retirement.

Jean was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Her priorities were always Jesus first, and her family next, before everything else.

Surviving Jean are her husband, Thomas, children Craig (wife Angie) Reimer, Carin (husband Andrew) Cummins, and Kevin (wife Carmen) Reimer. Jean has grandchildren Nikolas and Alexa Reimer, Kaylan and Drew Cummins (wife Stephanie), Kelsey Cummins Moore (husband Braden), Courteney Reimer Eddy (husband Jared), and Makenna Reimer.