Farie Mae Yearby Reed, known to most as Faye Reed, passed away this week in her home surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Reed was born in 1931, the sixth child of nine to Sam E. Yearby and Addie Rebecca Burkhalter Yearby of Pickens County, Alabama. It was in her childhood where she first honed her cooking skills with fresh ingredients from the garden that she would fine tune and provide culinary delights to her family and friends for the rest of her life.
As a young adult she found herself working in Montgomery as a secretary at Hodo Weaver Mortgage and later at Pensacola Housing Authority, learning the managerial skills that would sustain businesses and voluntary efforts for many years. While living in Montgomery, neighbor at the time, James Willard Reed, charmed Faye with his sense of humor and ambition to make a better life. They were wed in 1950 and lived happily for 65 years, producing three daughters, numerous entrepreneurial businesses, voluntary efforts, attended First Baptist Church, member of the Alabama State Restaurant Association and the Republican Party.
Mrs. Reed in partnership with her husband, developed a chain of Italian restaurants named “Mando’s Italian Food” between 1965 -1986 and Mando’s Catering in 1982- 2000. They took pride in providing good service, food and nurtured their employees, making many partners in the business.
Active in the Alabama State Restaurant Association and a charter member and first president of the Women’s Restaurant Auxiliary, Mrs. Reed was instrumental with others in 1974 starting the first “Taste of Huntsville” which would raise funds to ultimately build and maintain a home in the State Sheriff’s Association Boy’s and Girl’s Ranch. She received the 2009 Pine Apple award from the Huntsville-Madison County Hospitality Association for her work with the “Taste of Huntsville”.
Always interested in working in the community to improve the quality of life for Alabamians, Mrs. Reed was a member and president of the Twickingham Women’s Republican Party working for a stronger two party system. She participated in numerous campaigns for local and national leaders as an activist in the 5th congressional district. She was a Reagan delegate for Alabama in the National Republican Conventions in 1980 and county chairman and attended the Bush Convention in 1988. Close friends with Guy and Helen Hunt, she supported them in their gubernatorial election in 1991 and worked in the campaigns of Emory Folmar in 1982 and Fob James in 1995. She was appointed to the nominating committee for the Men’s Hall of Fame in 1992.
Mrs. Reed is survived by her husband James W. Reed, daughters Donna Payne, Jane Reed Ross, and Mary Jim Ailor, sons-in-law Neil J. Ross, and Keith Ailor, grandchildren, Matthew Reed Wilkins, Jennifer Huff Wilburn, and husband, Charlie, Sarah Jane Wilkins, Heath J. Ross and Ian R. Ross, sister Thretha Harcrow and husband Bobby Harcrow of Columbus, MS, sister Addie Lee Marlowe and husband, Jimmy, of Aliceville, AL, in-laws John and Ann Reed of Fayette, AL., Phil and Jean Reed of Franklin, NC, Edith N. Hamil of Jackson, MS, Oscar and Mimi Reed of Gulf Shores AL, Lewis Reed of Evergreen AL., and thirty plus nieces and nephews whom she all loved and nurtured. A
graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Maple Hill Cemetery. At 1 p.m. Monday, there will be a memorial service at First Baptist Church with Rev. Mark Seanor officiating. From 2 to 6 p.m. Monday, visitation and a Celebration of Life will be held at the Historic Lowry House, 1205 Kildare St., Huntsville, AL 35801.
Donations in memory of Faye Reed may be made to Manna House of Huntsville, 2110 South Memorial Parkway, Huntsville, AL 35801, because she loved to feed people.
