Obituary: Lisa Reese, 95, 'Pillar Of The Redding Community'

Obituary & Photo Provided by Jen Wastrom

LISA REESE: January 11, 1928 - October 1, 2023

Lisa Reese, nee Liesl Pechtl, 95 of Redding was born in Prachatitz, Czechoslovak Republic, beloved youngest daughter of Karl Pechtl, the Buergermeister of Prachatitz, and Hedwig Lichtnecker Pechtl. Upon her mother’s death when Lisa was only seven, she was sent to live with relatives until old enough to attend a private Jesuit high school where she learned to speak English. In 1944, she began college at Charles University in Prague, the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic; unfortunately, the school closed shortly thereafter due to the war.

Lisa was then inducted into the Anti-Aircraft unit of the German Air force, trained in communication and observatory work. She unsuccessfully escaped twice, found and returned each time. On her third escape attempt, the war was ending, and she managed to be returned to her family. Homecoming was short lived. In the fall of 1945 post-Potsdam Agreement when the Russians took occupation of Czechoslovakia, Lisa’s father arranged for her and a friend to escape to Passau, Germany. The two young women found it overcrowded with refugees, so they bravely continued on to safety in Linz, Austria.

In a Displaced Persons Camp in Linz, Lisa worked for the American Army as a long- distance switchboard operator. She was then offered a position to work for Military Intelligence Service as an Interpreter. It was there she met Donald Reese, an American soldier in her MIS unit. They married in October 1949 in Linz, and came to the United States, settling at Fort Totten, near New York City. They had two sons, Michael and Jeffrey. After a brief stint back in Germany when Donald was reassigned to NATO headquarters, Lisa divorced and moved with her two sons to Westport, CT in 1961.
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A single mother without friends or relatives, Lisa found work in a local real estate office. Realizing her knack for it, seven years later she opened her own firm, Reese Associates Real Estate, in 1968. In 1985 she sold her business to Coldwell Banker, staying on as their COO for Fairfield County and creating, from scratch, 13 offices. She retired from real estate in 2018 at the age of 90. Lisa’s two sons followed in her entrepreneurial footsteps; Lisa and Jeffrey launched the popular Westport eatery Dameon Restaurant in 1974 and Reese Builders Inc. was started with Michael in 1977. Lisa moved to Redding in 1986.

In addition to her successful business pursuits, Lisa volunteered her limited spare time to numerous community organizations - most significantly, the Mark Twain Library where her impact is impossible to quantify. She served for decades: as President of the Board of Trustees, Art Show Chair, Chair of the $3.9 Million Capital Campaign that updated and expanded the library in 2000, ringleader of the very first Development committee, and crafter of the Hermes Art Series. In addition to the library, Lisa was an indispensable volunteer for the Westport Arts Center, the Westport Historical Society, the Redding League of Women Voters, and the Housatonic Mental Health Council.

Besides her parents, Lisa was predeceased by her sister Hedwig, brothers Waldefried and Helmut, and her son Jeffrey Reese. She is survived by her son Michael, his wife Pamela, grandchildren Whitney Giannelli (John), Logan Reese and Spencer Reese, great-grandchildren Hunter and Marley Giannelli, and her devoted friends Deirdre O’Donohue and June Myles. Lisa’s family is forever grateful to Eva Ferguson, Lisa’s loyal friend and caregiver. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 11 at 4:30 pm at St. Patrick’s Church in Redding. In lieu of flowers, donations in Lisa’s honor may be made to the Mark Twain Library, Redding, CT.