JoAnn Elaine Reed

Jody Reed was born February 15, 1948 in Torrington, Wyoming and had an idyllic and loving childhood. Her parents, Dwight and Lois Reed, focused on old-fashioned values of education, kindness, Mother Nature and fostered a high degree of social responsibility and distrust of authority. Humor and the ability to laugh no matter what was always emphasized in the home. Her older sister, Sharon, and younger brother Don and younger sister Mary cherished games, laughter, and appreciation for the natural way of life. Jody would often be found riding one of her best friends, Beauty, her black horse which lived on 80 acres nearby and was always available for a ride and a great use of imagination for pretending to be in other lands of adventure. The Wyoming childhood resonated of innocence and a sheltered lifestyle. In high school, Jody was a cheerleader, active in journalism and excelled in academics, but always with a curiosity about the metaphysical aspects of our planet. A very tight family and community life prevailed. Jody attended the women’s part of the University of Virginia in Fredericksburg, a lovely women’s school with high academic standards. She also completed her Masters degree at George Washington University and gained her Juris Doctorate in law school, focusing on human rights. She worked as a Legislative Aide in the US Senate and at the White House for President Ford, as a professional writer. She then began a 10-year career as a television trouble-shooter and consumer reporter, which forced many moves around the US. The job was stressful but allowed her to help people. In the mid-90s Jody began a 20-year career as a professional travel columnist and travelled to over 100 countries. She spoke French and Spanish and enjoyed speaking in both languages. If she was here, she would want you to remember the jokes she told and how she tried to make you feel good about yourself, no matter what.