Gretchen (Douglas) Reader

Gretchen D. Reader, age 73, of Bluffton, SC passed away on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at the St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital, Savannah, GA after a nearly 17-month battle with metastatic breast cancer.

She was born in Rochester, PA on February 5, 1946 to the late Thomas Marion and Maude Caldwell Douglas, then of Aliquippa, PA. In 1963 she graduated from Aliquippa High School where she met her future husband and the love of her life at age 14. She graduated from Geneva College, Beaver Falls, PA with a B.S. in Business Education in 1967; earned her M. Ed. in Business Education at the University of Pittsburgh in 1971 and did post-graduate course work at Robert Morris College, Coraopolis, PA.

Gretchen (Grettie) is survived by her husband of nearly 53 years, Robert E. (Ned) Reader II and their two sons: Douglas I. Reader and his wife Dianna (Witzenburg) of Virginia Beach, VA and Jeffrey E. Reader and his wife Jina (Hong) of the District of Columbia. Also surviving are her grandsons Thomas (TD) and Tyler D Reader, her brother Thomas C. Douglas and his wife Myrna of Alto, NM; a cousin Judith Caldwell Tannehill and her son Christopher Tannehill, both of Bluffton, SC. In addition, she leaves behind many wonderful friends who loved and admired her.

Gretchen was truly an amazing woman who was loved and admired by all who knew her. She effectively balanced her roles as a mother, partner to the love of her life, Army wife, and professional educator in public secondary and middle-schools in Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Northern Virginia spanning a career of 44 years. Her most significant teaching assignments include teaching business education at Monaca High School, Monaca, PA. and business technology at Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, VA.

After her retirement from teaching in 2010, she and her husband moved from Northern Virginia to Sun City Hilton Head, Bluffton, SC where she fully enjoyed the active adult lifestyle. She met many people, made a host of exceptional friendships and was involved in planning a wide variety of neighborhood social events and activities including the Hidden Cypress Ladies Book Club.  Ever the professional educator, even in retirement, Gretchen also volunteered as a mentor to new teachers and was a part-time teaching aid at the Cross Schools on Buckwalter Parkway, Bluffton, SC for eight years before her cancer diagnosis forced her to discontinue her work.

All of her neighbors, friends, and acquaintances admired Gretchen for her zest for life, sweetness, nurturing demeanor and considerate caring in their relationships. She was never heard to say anything negative about anyone or anything at any time. She was truly an angel on earth.

In her own words she has said “I have had a life well lived and loved. I have been loved by my parents and family, found my soul mate at the age of 14, had wonderful friends, wonderful sons and daughters in law, and two amazing grandsons, lived in wonderful places and retired to paradise, loved my teaching career of 44 years and my volunteer work at Cross Schools for 8 years. Is there any downside to how my life and career has gone? I don’t think so.”

Friends and family gathered at the Church of the Cross Historic Campus, Bluffton, SC for a celebration of her life service conducted by Father Juan C. Rivera followed by a reception at the Hidden Cypress Clubhouse in Sun City Hilton Head, Bluffton, SC.

If so desired, donations in Gretchen’s memory may be sent to the Church of the Cross, PO Box 278, Bluffton, SC.

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