Mrs. Jean Gilley Reed Goodman, 90, of Woodbury, Tennessee passed away on Friday, November 15, 2024. She was born at home in Beechgrove, Tennessee on Friday, May 25, 1934, to the late Dan Palford and Betty French Gilley. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Robert Lee Reed; second husband, Bill Dean Goodman; brothers, Almet Palford Gilley, Jerry Randall Gilley, and Robert Garrel “Bobby” Gilley; and sister, Joy Fay Spain.
She is survived by her children, Jeff (Pam) Reed and Vicki Smith both of Woodbury; grandchildren, Cliff (Amy) Reed, Clint (Jessica) Reed, Cole (Kelsie) Reed, Lindsay (Joe) Patterson, and Blaire Smith; great-grandchildren, Ryker Reed, Adrianna Reed, Brett Reed, Carson Reed, Kaynie Reed, and Gabe Patterson; brothers, Lyle Max (Debbie) Gilley and Gary Bruce (Melissa) Gilley; sister, Vivian Louise Thomas; and a handful of her work family from Colonial Shirt Factory.
Other than a few of her early years after being born just over the Cannon County line in Beechgrove, Tennessee near the Hoodoo community, Jean was a lifelong Cannon County resident. The Gilley family learned quickly that they weren’t going to have much trouble out of Jean. Her mind worked in a rule-oriented fashion, and things were much closer to black and white than gray in her life. From an early age, she had a sharp mind, but that didn’t mean she was going to break tradition.
Jean went on to do what many in Cannon County did from her generation. She attended church, graduated from Woodbury Central High School with the Class of 1952, and went to work at the Colonial Shirt Factory. Before she got out of high school though, she met and married her sweetheart from church, Robert Lee Reed. When you marry a woman, it’s been said you get one or the other – a working woman or a homemaker. Well, Jean made it clear to Robert which category fit her.
Going straight to work after high school, Jean’s sharp and analytical mind got her a job in Accounts Receivable. Numbers suited her well with no chance of anything gray getting involved and making a mess of things. Her work ethic and personality won her lots of friends at work, and they took many trips to Gatlinburg together over the years. Outside of work, Jean remained just as busy.
Robert and Jean kept the road hot going to Gospel meetings, or what Jean called “pickin’ and grinnin’s.” They were both music lovers and enjoyed keeping up with the preachings, but Jean really thrived in socializing with the other ladies. When they weren’t at Gospel meetings, Robert and Jean still kept moving either traveling or going camping. They enjoyed one another’s company and that multiplied when Jeff and Vicki came into the world.
Though Jean didn’t stay home with her kids, you could see it was her hand that still rocked the cradle. She passed along her gift with numbers to Jeff and was proud to see him open Reed’s Builders Supply in 1983. To Vicki, she gave her the restless spirit for the next new thing and was more than happy to watch her move around renovating houses. It also didn’t hurt that Vicki went on to work at Colonial Shirt Factory with her mom, but when Vicki decided to stay home with her girls, Jean kept on working.
Gray got thrown into the life of the Reed family when Robert died on May 12, 1984. What he left behind was a legacy, but Jean knew what he went on to was so much more than she could imagine. She continued working and keeping her nose to the grindstone as she grieved her husband. It took a few years, but music and mutual friends ended up connecting Jean with Bill Dean Goodman. Having such a wonderful marriage with Robert, Jean decided to get married again.
She made sure her role was clear to Bill too. She didn’t cook, but she would enjoy a good meal and compliment the chef generously. She didn’t clean, but she would let you know when you were making a mess in her nest. It was around this time that Jean also decided to retire from Colonial Shirt Factory. After over 45 years of crunching numbers, she figured it was time to start investing in the next generations, and invest she did.
Jean loved her grandchildren, and it showed in their excitement. They couldn’t wait to get to her house and see what adventures and fun awaited them. She took a few of them on camping trips and zoo trips became a cherished memory. Her support of family was something Jean never lost, no matter what generation you came from. She didn’t miss a decoration day at the cemetery as she remembered and honored her loved ones gone before, and she instilled the importance of dignity, knowledge of self, faith, and family togetherness into each generation to come.
Now, don’t think Jean revolved her life around her grandchildren after retirement. She and Bill still had many wonderful adventures until his death in 2011, and anyone could have an interesting conversation with her. Up until the last few days of her life, Jean’s mind remained a steel trap. She enjoyed reading and keeping up with the news and current events. Jean was even one to enjoy the barrage of doctor’s appointments as she learned more about her own health and medicine in general.
There wasn’t a day that Jean didn’t worry about and show concern for others. She’d made family everywhere she went from home to work to church. Woodbury Church of Christ was the hub for her church family for countless years, but really, family could have been anywhere in Cannon County for Jean. She had a heart for service and a mind for conversation, and she used both liberally to the honor and glory of God.
Visitation will be held at Gentry-Smith Funeral Home on Sunday, November 17, 2024 from 11 am – 2 pm. Graveside services will follow on Sunday, November 17, 2024 at 2:30 pm at Gilley Hill Cemetery. Herb Alsup will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Woodbury Church of Christ, Woodbury Day School, or Boyd Christian Elementary School basketball.
Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337 Because every life has a story