Doris Marie Reaze

On the morning of October 26, 2019 in the sanctuary of her home, the Harvest Angel beckoned Doris Marie French Reaze to rejoin our ancestors. Doris was born May 10, 1948 in Cleveland, Ohio to Johnnie Wesley French Sr. of Rosston, Arkansas and Jessie Mae Germany of Roba, Alabama. While she was the youngest child of Jessie and Johnnie, her older brother Johnnie Jr. professes that she was so smart he proudly followed her.

As a young child, Doris was raised in Greater Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church under her mother’s anchoring. Doris graduated in 1966 from John Hay High School in Cleveland, where she was President of her class. It was clear even then that she was a leader who had style and knew how to get things done.

After high school Doris French completed two years of college at Cuyahoga Community College. In 1972 Doris was united in holy matrimony to Warnell Reaze Jr. and from this union came Jessie Mae (deceased), Preston Avery Reaze and Shannan Marie Reaze.

In 1985, she committed her leadership to the State of Ohio as a Hospital Aide Supervisor at Northeast Developmental Center. She continued her faithful service to people with special needs at Warrensville Developmental Center where she retired in 2015 as Residential Care Supervisor.  In her 30 years of service she made countless life-long friends. Those that knew her would agree, that she was a stern but fair supervisor. Her laugh could be infectiously heard all across the WDC campus. She was true public servant.

Above her professional life, Doris was first a family woman. Proven in the ways she cared of her brother Johnnie, to how she raised her children, to the ways she loved her many cousins, aunts and uncles, family was first. Doris' God-given ability to touch people she encountered with her stoic strength and guidance was truly special. Ms. Reaze had a moral excellence and grounding that she demonstrated and demanded. The world has truly lost an exceptional woman. 

Recently, Ms.  Reaze became an active member of New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church. Keeping her spirit anchored in the Lord as her mother taught her and she passed on her to children.

She leaves to revere her memory her brother, Johnnie French, Jr; two children, Preston Reaze (Columbus, OH) and Shannan Reaze (Atlanta, GA);  five grandchildren, R’,iana, Olivia, Alexander, Laila and Da’Von; three aunts, Evelyn Sanford, Christine Germany and Ruth Ray; three uncles James Germany, Milton___ and Churchnell ________; two Goddaughters Deanna (Harold) and Marcelyn (Albert) and a host of relatives and friends.

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