- Date Of Birth: March 4, 1923
- Date Of Death: January 17, 2018
- State: Florida
Nancy Reeves – March 4, 1923-January 17, 2018
Nancy began her life in Burlington, VT and was raised in Fairfield, CT and graduated from Fairfield High School in 1941. She began working in New York City until she joined the Navy 1944. She was discharged honorably 1946 as Seaman First Class. During her stint in the Navy she was stationed in Miami, FL and made several trips to the St. Petersburg, FL to see her cousin Joyce and her husband Dooney Layton. Joyce and Dooney were members of the Moose Lodge and would take Nancy as their guest. According to local legend there were “back room” poker games run by a dashing bachelor Orin Reeves.
After Nancy’s stint in the Navy she returned to St. Petersburg to live with Joyce and Dooney in 1949. It was during this time she met Orin. After a quick courtship, Nancy and Orin were wed on September 30, 1950. 11 months later the first of 5 children was born. Nancy and Orin lived in only one home, 1046 Yale Street and they would remain there for the duration of their marriage bringing up all 5 children there.
Nancy was a local celebrity in her own right. She was a well known jazz and blues singer and during her bartending shifts at the Sundown Lounge, which would later become The Gallery on St. Pete Beach, she would sing with the Harry Kingsland Band. She brought the house down every time she performed. She was a regular with the jazz band on Sunday’s at the Bilmar and also performed all over St. Petersburg, especially the beaches. No matter where Nancy went, if there was a band she was always asked to come up and sing.
Nancy was always at the ready with her children’s slew of friends. There was never a time the kids didn’t have someone with them and when asked if the friend could stay for dinner there was never a question what the answer would be. Nancy could take a meal for 7 and stretch it as far as needed to get everyone fed. The backyard parties at 1046 were always well attended by not only the kids friends but by Nancy and Orin’s friends as well and everyone had a ball. Nancy treated her kids friends like her own children and those friendships lasted the remainder of her life.
Nancy is preceeded in death by her husband, Orin Reeves, and her parents, Fred and Eunice Seymour. She is survived by her children Frederick Daniel, Timothy David, Patrick Michael, John Henry and her only daughter Nancy Jane Bauder, 9 grandchildren, Tyson Reeves, Jesse Cogan, Michael Reeves, David Reeves, Ryan Reeves, Jackson Reeves, Mack Reeves, Joseph Toth Jr. and of course her one and only granddaughter Montana Toth and numerous great-grandchildren.
