James Reedy

James Alan Reedy, beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend passed away peacefully on October 4, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was 85 years old. Born in Clintwood, Virginia, he was preceded in death by his parents Corbett and Lelia Reedy, loving wife Kay Reedy and sister Nancy Olson. He is survived by his children Jody Reedy Andrade (Billy), Betsy Reedy Sawyer (Ryan), Bryan Dunlap (Kelley), Bo Dunlap (Jill), and Greg Kershner (Leigh). Jim was a proud grandfather to his fourteen grandchildren: Cameron, Grace, Tyler, Eli, Sidney, Paige, Grant, Jackson, Meredith, Eliza, Isabella, Sechaba, Talia and Meti.

Jim was a graduate of John Marshall High School in Richmond, Virginia and Bridgewater College where he resides in the Hall of Fame for men’s basketball. He earned a master’s degree from Long Beach State and doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University.

Jim had a strong Christian faith grounded from his youth and his parental teachings. This led to a work ethic that was admired for its integrity and dedication to the field of health and physical education. A life-long educator, he served in many roles including teacher, coach, athletic director and college administrator. He began his career at Bridgewater College and finished at Georgia Tech as department head and professor of the Health and Performance Sciences Department. His influence upon those with whom he taught and mentored lingers to this day.

Jim enjoyed daily exercise, delicious food, a good old movie, anything sports related and especially time with family. He had a gift for storytelling and could captivate an audience with his humorous tales and poems. Over the past several years, he began to write novels and had several published that relied on the connections he had with people throughout his life. He chose joy daily and his encouraging spirit will be forever missed.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Jim will be held on Monday, October 23, 2023, at H.M. Patterson and Son - Oglethorpe Hill Chapel located at 4550 Peachtree Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30319 at 11 a.m. A reception will immediately follow the service. Services will be livestreamed for those who are unable to attend.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes a donation to either the Atlanta Community Food Bank (acfb.org) or the Michael J. Fox Foundation (give.michaeljfox.org) in his memory.