Franklin Paul Reese, Jr., of New Eagle, Pa. passed away at home on February 10, 2022. Anytime you asked him, "How are you?" He nearly always replied, "Just wonderful." During his 89 years, he lived a full life and always managed to find the silver lining. His reaction to his cancer diagnosis 2 years ago summed up the positive way he viewed life: "I woke up and thought I was having a heart attack and dying, but it turned out it was only cancer, so I have more time."

He was born in Pittsburgh on Oct. 18, 1932, the second child to the late Frank Preston Reese and Leona Pearl Hickenbottom Reese. To avoid confusion with his father, the family referred to him by his middle name Paul. The name stuck and he used it his whole life with family and friends. Times were hard in Pittsburgh because of the Great Depression, and his parents couldn't find work, so the family soon moved back to Shanksville, Pa. to live with his grandparents.

Paul grew up with his grandmother Mary Reese Berkey and his beloved step-grandfather Ceno "Pap Berkey" Berkey in their log cabin. His stories from this time include their Jersey milk cow, their gray horse Maude (who pulled wagon loads of coal home to fuel their kitchen cook stove), the stolen Christmas tree, homemade pies, and playing basketball at school.

He graduated from Shanksville High School in 1950 and married his high school sweetheart, Joanne Virginia Kimmel on October 8, 1951. Shortly after, Paul was drafted into the army because of the Korean Conflict. Joanne was expecting their first child. He was fortunate to serve his 2 years in Colorado Springs, Co. at a desk job, but worried about being reassigned to combat at any time.

One of Paul's proudest accomplishments was building his own home in Gloversville, NY with the help of his wife and Pap Berkey. They lived in the house while they were building it (much to their daughter's chagrin– no one liked living in the basement. Baby Franklin didn't seem to care.) But after the house was completed, they moved back to Pennsylvania to be near family. Paul found work with US Steel as an electrician. Joanne went house hunting for a fixer upper and they settled in New Eagle, PA.

After retiring from US Steel, Paul volunteered with the "Over the Hill Gang" crew that maintains the GAP trail out of the West Newton visitor center and became a regular at the Mon Valley Y. His ability to deliver clever jokes while keeping a straight face made it difficult to know when he was kidding until he smiled. And although he joked about being hit by a truck, he survived so many accidents in his lifetime that we wondered if he had 9 lives! He totaled multiple Lincolns (his car of choice), had heart troubles that a pacemaker fixed, survived cancer once before and was really hit by a landscaping truck. The scariest was a freak accident at US Steel, when high voltage sparked off a metal fence, through his hand, and out his elbow leaving burn holes where it entered and exited!

Paul always had a love of children, his own and others. Little kids seemed drawn to him. Family was important to Paul and Joanne. Over the years they coordinated family reunions and researched to create a Reese family tree (before the internet made it easy). Joanne was the love of his life and they were married for 48 years until she passed. He shared the secret to their marriage was to always consider the other person and if they did that for you too, you were both happy.

Paul was preceded in death by his wife Joanne, granddaughter Tiffany Hungerford, daughter Eleanor Dehoff, and siblings Alice Alleman, John E. Reese, Ronald Reese, and Harry Reese. He is survived by 2 children, Roberta Hungerford of Charleroi, Pa. and Franklin Reese III and wife Mary of Lebanon, NJ and son-in-law James Dehoff of Littlestown, Pa. He also leaves behind 2 siblings, Virginia Fonda and Jay Reese (Linda) and grandchildren Jennifer Dehoff (Ashley), Jonathan Dehoff (Laura), James Hungerford (Claudia), Katherine Reese, and David Reese, 2 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

There will be no services at this time. The family plans to hold a memorial service in July. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to "CURE Childhood Cancer" in his name.

Notes of condolence may be placed online at the guest book at www.fryefuneralhome.com.