Dr. Kenneth G. Reeb

Dr. Kenneth George Reeb, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather passed away on July 2, 2024 at Carol Woods Retirement Community, at the age of 89. Ken once shared his early history to one of his grandsons, explaining in his own words, “Grandpa was born in a northern suburb of Chicago when it was still farmland, known today as Northbrook, Illinois. He was the seventh, and youngest, child of German immigrants who came to the US in the 1920’s along with most of their relatives.”

Ken moved around quite a bit when he was younger and lived on a farm in southern Wisconsin where he went to school in a one-room schoolhouse. At one time he thought he would be a farmer like his father. His father died unexpectedly when Ken was 15 and the family moved around after that. Ken went to several high schools and graduated from Waterford Wisconsin High School. Grandpa wrote “Because I was a poor boy, coming from a big family without a father, and because I was smart, I got a 4-year scholarship to the University of Wisconsin in Madison.” When he was a junior in college, he joined a fraternity across the street from a girls’ dorm where he met the love of his life, Mary Lee. 

On September 22, 1956, Ken and Mary were married on the Naval base on Kodiak Island, Alaska where he was stationed, he was 22 and she had just turned 20. On June 14,1957 Ken and Mary welcomed the first two of their four children, Kenneth Jr. and Paul. They were identical twins and no one saw twins coming. Ken liked to tell the story that the doctor didn’t know that Mary was carrying twins and said, “Well now for the afterbirth”, reached in and exclaimed “Whoop-de-do, that’s not an afterbirth” and pulled out another boy. The family grew by two more children, Anne (1959) and Eric (1962). While still in the Navy, Ken signed up to go to the University of Iowa to attend the Veterinary School, but convinced by a friend that Medical School was better, the couple and their growing family worked to accumulate money for tuition and they returned to the University of Wisconsin to complete his medical degree.

Ken chose Pediatrics as his initial specialty but became interested in pursuing Family Practice. He spent the final years of his career, as the Dean of the Family Medicine department at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. 

Ken and Mary have lived in the Chapel Hill area since 1987. They were active members in the University as well as their parish, St. Thomas More. Ken was a devoted Catholic and shared his faith with his family through his words, actions and gifts. He was a kind man, full of love and humor. He was a father who worked hard in the service of others but always had time for his family. Being old and infirm only caught up with him the last couple of years and he found himself ready to pass from this worldly existence to an eternal life where he will reunite with the beloved people who graced his life and will patiently wait for his loving wife.

A time to gather and funeral mass will be held for Kenneth G. Reeb on Friday July 12, 2024, at St. Thomas More Church with the gathering to start at 9:30 am and mass at 10:30 am. As we bid farewell, we take comfort in the knowledge that his spirit will live on in the hearts and memories of all who were fortunate enough to share in his remarkable journey.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a gift to St. Thomas More Catholic Church or the Carol Woods Resident Assistance Fund.