Reba Henson Pixley, 89, passed peacefully and went to be with her Lord on Dec. 9, 2019 after her most recent battle with cancer.

Reba Jane Henson was born on May 3, 1930 in Covington, Virginia to the late Cleston and Eva (Taylor) Henson. Shortly after she was born, they moved to the Erie, Pennsylvania. Reba was youngest of six children and was very close to her eldest sister, Blanche, who was 20 years her senior and lovingly took on the role of second mom to young Reba.

After graduating from Harborcreek High School, she worked at Erie Resistor then as a secretary for GE Transportation in Erie for 37 years. She met her future husband, Lester C. Patmore Jr. at GE and they married in 1956. She took an early retirement while Les continued to work. She was having so much fun they had to purchase a second vehicle. When Les retired, they moved to Peoria, Arizona and enjoyed spending time with a large group of friends. There, she began working at Coldwell Banker Success Realty as an assistant for 14 years.

Several years after her husband passed in 1997, she started spending time with Al Pixley who was part of the large group of friends they socialized with. He had lost his wife around the same time that Reba lost her husband. They married in 2003 and moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. When Al passed in 2006, she purchased a cottage at St. Andrews Retirement Village in Boothbay Harbor to be closer to her daughter, Lori. She later sold her cottage and moved into Independent Living, then into Assisted Living. She had nothing but praise for all that she encountered in the Village and was a most beloved resident.

To describe Reba, many things come to mind. She was a strong woman with a vivacious personality. She maintained a fun and classy attitude, always the lady, she made friends easily. When she was in a large group of people she didn’t know, you can bet by the time she left she would know many people and they would know more than they’d ever want to know about her daughter and granddaughter!

Reba battled many health issues over the years and always maintained a positive attitude. She was a true fighter and wouldn’t give up this current fight until her granddaughter, Christin, arrived in Maine and was able to see her. She instilled her perseverance character in her daughter who passed it onto her daughter. We have nothing but high praise for the staff at St. Andrews Village, and all the hospice related care she received. They are all true angels and we’re grateful for their service.

Reba will be greatly missed by many.

She is survived by her daughter, Lori Patmore Bailey, her husband Bill, and granddaughter Christin of Trevett; stepchildren, Lester C. Patmore, III (Donna) of Erie, Pennsylvania and their children and grandchildren, Thomas L. Patmore (Cas) of Durham, North Carolina and Tom’s children Alexandra and Cristina; and many nieces and nephews.

There will be a graveside service at Laurel Hill Cemetery, 4523 Love Road, Erie, PA on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 11a.m. If you are so moved, a donation in her memory can be made to the Boothbay Region YMCA, P.O. Box 500, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or Water of Life Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 206, Newcastle, ME 04553.

Hall’s of Boothbay has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences, please visit hallfuneralhomes.com