On Tuesday, May 25, 2021, Kathleen Reid, loving mother of three children plus a daughter by marriage, passed away at the age of 77. Kathy devoted her early adult life to raising her children before beginning a career in travel at 40 years old. Twenty-two years later she retired as the Manager of Business Travel at Chrysler Corporation and moved from Detroit to Cookeville, TN. Kathy enjoyed cooking, gardening, and traveling. She visited six continents.
Kathy was a member of Life Church in Cookeville and a Christian.
She had a passion for exercise and yoga, crediting those activities for extending her life and keeping her physically conditioned enough to receive a heart transplant. According to Vanderbilt Hospital records, at 75 years old, Kathy became the oldest person in the country to receive a heart transplant.
Kathy was born in Cleveland, OH, and eventually moved to Chicago where she married her first husband, Ray DeMaertelaere. Kathy had three children, Susan Rotay, Mark DeMaertelaere, and Andy DeMaertelaere. In 1985, she married Tony Reid, who had a daughter, Cynthia. Tony and Kathy had a deep love for each other and for life before being separated by death after 35 wonderful years.
Kathy was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Dilts, who was killed in WWII, and her mother Marjorie Craig. Her immediate family celebrating her life are her husband, Tony Reid, children, Susan Rotay, Mark and Dawn DeMaertelaere, Andrew DeMaertelaere, step-daughter Cynthia Reid, grandchildren Jonathan, Jeffrey and Lauren, Brittney, Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca, and great granddaughter Ellie.
Celebration of life for family and friends at Logan’s Roadhouse on Friday, June 4th, from 1-3 PM.
Donations to www.amyloidosis.org in memory of Kathleen Reid.