Jonathan Laray Reed was born September 2, 1964 in Greenville, Texas to the Reverend John L. and Virginia Jackson Reed. He attended Travis Elementary School in Sulphur Springs, Texas and completed his public school education at Liberty-Eylau Independent School District in Texarkana, Texas in May 1983. Jonathan worked construction and his first construction job was working to help erect the Hopewell Temple Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. He attended Texas College Tyler, Texas on a full baseball scholarship and later enlisted in the United State Navy serving on the USS Juneau. Jonathan is fondly known as Cool Breeze and Shawty Smalls. He loved fishing, telling jokes, children, sports, cooking and spending time with his family. Jonathan coached little league baseball and umpired for Dixie League Baseball. Sundays for Jonathan included morning worship, dinner with family, and football. He followed Liberty-Eylau sports his entire adult life.
Jonathan’s proudest achievements later in life included being elected chairman of the Trustee Board of Hopewell Temple CME Church, tending to the business and upkeep of the church, and singing melodiously in the Hopewell Temple Inspirational Choir. He led quite a few songs on Sunday morning and he loved to give glory to God until his health failed.
Jonathan has been loved and supported by Darlene Jones for the past 12 years. He is the proud father of Jas’Monique Madison of Tyler, Texas and Gabrianna Gatewood Fort Worth, Texas and bonus father of 6.
He is preceded in death by his great grandmothers, Millie Williams, Dyras Reed and Gracie McKinley; grandparents Willie and Hattie Stevenson, John and Fannie Mae Jackson, Leroy “Buster” Wright, Hilbert Reed,his childhood friend and older sister Veronica Denise Reed Traylor AKA Honey on July 29, 2024 and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Jonathan leaves to cherish is memory: parents, Rev. John L. and Virginia M. Reed; grandmother, Margie Wright; great aunts Nellie Summerfield and Annie Pickrom; significant other Darlene Jones; 2 daughters, Jas’Monique Madison and Gabrianna Gatewood; 6 grandsons, Ka’Daviyon and Kashton Madison, Drew, Carson, Ryder and Tatum Gatewood; siblings, David, Virginia Lyn, Schnina and Daniel Reed; nieces and nephews, Kari and Kasi Traylor, Michael, Lacie, Jeffery and Jaylan Reed and Isaiah Atoe. Bonus children: Chastity Benton, Stephonie (Jessica) Stanfield, Shamonica (Stephen) Bell, Oriana Haynes, Mecca (Cortland) Wortham and Badia (Less) Harlin, 17 bonus grandchildren, and 4 bonus great grandchildren as well as a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and a special tweet-love, Aliya Haley.
Jonathan will be remembered for his contagious sense of humor, ability to repair almost anything, barber skills, dancing, melodious singing voice, his joke telling, and culinary skills.
Visitation Monday, December 30, 2024 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm at Hopewell CME Church 3320 S. Lake
Drive Texarkana, Texas. Funeral Service after visitation at 12:00 pm at the Church. Burial Memorial
Gardens Cemetery 5200 Broad Street Texarkana, AR under the directions of Jones Stuart Mortuary.
