Father Charles Thomas Reese

Father Charles Thomas Reese, retired Air Force Colonel, was born December 27, 1923 in Wilmington, DE and died November 2, 2017. Father Reese, one of seven children born to the now deceased James M. Reese and Elizabeth Conway Reese, elected, as did those of his siblings, to devote his life to service in the Roman Catholic Church. He was also preceded in death by brothers, Msgr. Thomas J. Reese and Father James M. Reese, and sister Catherine R. Hall. Fr. Reese was a graduate of St. Ann's Parochial School and a 1941 graduate of Salesianum High School. He entered the Novitiate of the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales at Childs, MD. He graduated from Catholic University in 1946 with a BA in Philosophy. He continued his Theological studies at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland in 1949 and finished his theological studies in 1950 with a licentiate in theology from the Catholic University of Switzerland.

When he returned to the states, he taught high school math at Bishop Duffy in Niagara Falls for 2 years and then at Catholic Prep in Erie, PA for 4 years. He was then asked by his Provincial, Fr. William Buckley, to become a military Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force. He remained in the Air Force for 24 years with assignments in Thule, Greenland; Libya, Tripoli; London, England; u-tapao, Thailand; and a number of assignments in the U.S. He was chief of the Chaplain's inspection team for the Air Force and ended his career as the Staff Chaplain to the Commander of the Air Force in Europe. He returned with the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit medals, Meritorious Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

After retirement, Father attended NC State University and received a Master's Degree in Adult Education. He joined the diocese of North Carolina where he worked for the next 10 years. During that time he was pastor of St. Philip's, Statesville; St. Benedict's, Greensboro; Immaculate Conception, Hendersonville; and St. Anne's, Charlotte. He then retired to Niceville, FL where he continued to assist at various local parishes and Eglin AFB. He is survived by sisters, Sister Mary C. Reese MM, Elizabeth R. Lynch, Cecilia R. Haywood, and many nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephews. On behalf of the family, we'd like to thank his many longtime friends who have enriched his life. Father Charlie did not desire a public celebration of his life. Any contributions on his behalf shouid be made to Mary Knoll Sisters, P.O. Box 311, Mary Knoll NY 10545-0311.              

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