Rebecca Elizabeth Reeder

On May 30, 2023, Becca Reeder of Arlington, Texas passed away in Athens, Greece while vacationing with friends in anticipation of her upcoming 50th birthday. Instead of having a party here on Earth, our beloved Becca celebrated her milestone birthday with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and a host of heavenly angels.

Rebecca Elizabeth Reeder was born June 3, 1973, in Newport, Rhode Island, moved to Texas in infancy and attended school in Arlington, ultimately graduating with honors from Martin High School. In keeping with a longstanding family tradition, Becca then went on to attend Baylor University, where she was a proud member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.

After graduating from Baylor with excellent grades, Becca embarked upon a lifelong career in corporate accounting, working the last 20 years at Celanese Corporation, where she served as a senior accounting analyst.

In 2022, Becca was appointed vice president of the Celanese Charitable Foundation Board of Directors, a position that dovetailed perfectly with another family tradition that Becca continued throughout her adult life: community service. Volunteering through work and in her personal life, Becca contributed her time and talent to numerous charitable organizations, most notably the Junior League of Arlington, where she completed ten years of service before achieving sustainer status; and Camp Sanguinity, a therapeutic summer camp for pediatric cancer patients where Becca served three years as a counselor.

Becca was a woman of many interests, and she was famed among those who knew her for pursuing her passions with steadfast zeal. One of her favorite pastimes was travel, and even though her life was cut short she nevertheless managed to cross off her vacation to-do list numerous destinations across the U.S. and around the world, including a resort getaway tradition she enjoyed with her sorority sisters every other year. She also logged countless hours in the audiences of dozens of Broadway or national touring company musical productions, amassing an impressive Playbill collection along the way.

A confessed (but unrepentant) shopping addict, Becca curated an enviably large and fashionable wardrobe and accessory collection, an affinity she likely inherited from her equally stylish paternal grandmother Ethel. This shopping prowess also fueled one of Becca’s greatest pleasures and signature traits: generous gift giving. When it came to selecting the just-perfect-for-you gift and packaging it stylishly, Becca was a champion.

Becca had other loves, such as watching live sports (especially the Dallas Stars and of course her Baylor Bears), brunching with her Martin High School friends, and indulging her other addiction, binging TV dramas. She was also a fitness enthusiast with multiple boot camps and a successfully completed charity marathon in Honolulu, Hawaii to her credit. But unquestioningly, Becca’s two greatest loves were her kitties—Jovi, Izzy, and Gracie—and Jon Bon Jovi, to whom Becca was as ridiculously and unabashedly devoted as she was to her beloved cats. Over the span of many decades, Becca attended dozens of Bon Jovi concerts and personal appearances across the country, including the rock legend’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. Becca’s recently redecorated home is filled with strikingly displayed Bon Jovi memorabilia, including a photo taken with “JBJ” at a private concert for elite status fan club members.

Becca is survived by her parents Jim and Faye Reeder of Arlington; her sister Rhonda Aghamalian of Arlington; and her brother Brandon Aghamalian of Austin, along with his wife, Jenny, and Becca’s nieces Juliet and Leighton and nephew Dashiell. Additionally, she is survived by aunts Colleen Riggins, Heidi Croce, Sheila Maxcy, and their families; her great-aunt Lucy Thompson and Lucy’s family in Arlington and Tennessee; and her many friends from childhood, college, work, and other pockets of Becca’s life.

Preceding her in death is Becca’s mother, Sharon Smith Wilson, as well as grandparents Ethel and J. B. Reeder and Dr. Clayton and Doris Jean Smith.

A celebration of Becca’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 12, at First Baptist Church in Arlington, 301 S. Center St., with a reception immediately following in the church Welcome Home Center. Interment at Parkdale Cemetery will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, June 16th. Arrangements by Wade Funeral Home (wadefamilyfuneralhome.com).

Those who wish to make a charitable donation in Becca’s memory do so via the Arlington Life Shelter (arlingtonlifeshelter.org) or to Men Serving God (menservinggod.org). All who knew Becca are encouraged to seize the day and spend time with their loved ones or in pursuit of their favorite activities carried out in beloved places, and to give a thought to Becca as you do.
“Save a prayer for me, I’ll save a prayer for you.”—Jon Bon Jovi