Mickey Reeves

Mickey Dale Reeves, 67, died peacefully and unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, August 21, 2010. Beloved husband, beloved father, beloved brother, beloved friend, devoted teacher, Mickey was a man who loved life. Few who crossed his path ever forgot that he had touched their lives in some way. Mickey was born at home on South Lincoln Street in Bloomington, Ind., on September 3, 1942, to Bonita Pennington Reeves and Maurice Pauley Reeves. The Reeves family were members of the First Christian Church, where Mickey was baptized and where he attended church and youth groups as a young man. Elm Heights Elementary, Bloomington Junior High School and Bloomington High School (class of 1960) provided Mickey with a good education, although he unrepentantly remembered spending a few high school periods downtown in search of more exciting adventures. One of Mickey’s great loves was the game of basketball, and his height of 6’ 7” garnered him the center position on Bloomington High School's basketball team. He excelled in the sport and led Bloomington High School to the Final Four games in 1960. That same year, he also was #4 on the Indiana State All Star basketball team. Playing ball for Mickey, though, was always a means to an end – the high school classroom. He attended West Virginia Wesleyan University to become a teacher, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies while leading the West Virginia Wesleyan teams to many titles and championships, and personally receiving various MVP awards and other honors. Following his graduation from West Virginia Wesleyan, Mickey returned to Bloomington and began his teaching career at Central Junior High School, simultaneously working on his Master of Science in Education degree at Indiana University, which he completed in 1969. He also served as basketball coach during his time at Central. When Bloomington High School North opened in 1972, Mickey began teaching there, and remained there until his retirement in 2004. A life-long Bloomingtonian, there were few places in town that he didn't know and love. He had hunted or fished almost every open area and local lake and creek, and all of the stories of those expeditions centered on the people who were there with him because first and foremost, Mickey was a friend and a teacher. Whether he focused on European History or Economics or Archery, he was never happier than when he was in front of a classroom of students or teaching his wife how to hook a 5-pound Bass. He hunted and fished with colleagues from Central Junior High and Bloomington High School North and maintained lifelong friendships with those outdoorsmen. He found his greatest peace as the sun rose over Lake Monroe on a crisp, fall day. A trip to a local restaurant or store quite often resulted in a visit with a former student from his 39 years of teaching in the MCCSC. He had an easy rapport with young people who hunt and fish; he loved to work on the “world's problems” with former students from his Economics classes; and he simply loved to hear how students were doing in life. Since he first discovered his love for history as a young man, his purpose in life was to be a teacher, a passionate educator, and so every moment for him was a “teachable moment.” Most important to Mickey, though, were his family and friends. There was always a reason for a party, and a party was always best when people were laughing. He could tell a great story, but he loved the reparté of a gathering the best. Mickey will be greatly missed. But if you were lucky enough to have known him, then part of him remains. He rarely touched a life that wasn't changed by his presence. Mickey is survived by his wife, Linda; his sister, Gloria (Dean Williams); sons Ted, Todd (Rochelle) and David, and daughter Angel; a nephew, Tony Williams; a niece, Avery England (Paul) and great-nephew, Jesse; grandchildren Jacob, Cody, Heidi, Erin, Niki, Sydney, Hannah, Caleigh, and Clayton; step-children Kimberly Stephans (Joseph Auty) and Tanya Growe (Russell). Mickey was preceded in death by his parents, Bonnie and Maurice. Grandparents Mary (Skelton) and Lawrence Reeves and Lena (Crown) and Meryl Pennington. Services will be held 4:00 p.m. Thursday at Allen Funeral Home with Rev. Paula Bremer officiating. The family will receive friends from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Foundation of Monroe County Schools, information at mccsfoundation.org. Online condolences may be left at www.MickeyDReeves.com

Tributes

Mickey Reeves

September 3, 1942 - August 21, 2010