The Shadow
DANVILLE – Clarence Payne “Pete” Rea Jr. of Confederate Avenue, Danville, died Tuesday, April 27, 2010.
Pete was born May 8, 1924 in Covington to the late Clarence P. Rea and Maude Quate Rea.
On June 15, 1950, he married his faithful wife, Alyce Cryan Rea, who preceded him in death April 19, 2007.
He served in World War II for four years and served overseas with the 567th AM AW Battalion, Thurd Army, under General George S. Patton.
Pete attended William and Mary College and graduated from Lynchburg College with a BA degree in Business Administration. In 1953 he began his career with the City of Danville Finance and Purchasing Departments.
He directed other departments including Grants Coordinator, General Services, Assistant City Manager and Acting City Manager, before being appointed to the Airport/Emergency Services Department. Pete was known to wear many hats in city government and was known throughout federal and state governments as the “Ambassador of Danville, Va.”
After 43 years of faithful service, he retired in 1996.
He joined Moseley Memorial United Methodist Church in 1950, serving as president of the administrative board and many other capacities. Pete was very community minded and chaired many non-profit organizations and received recognition awards for his service.
He was past president and member of the Board of Directors and served 26 years as treasurer of the Danville Rotary Club. Also, he was past president and Life Honorary Member of the Board of Directors to the Danville Lifesaving Crew.
In 1990, Pete received the prestigious Kiwanis Club of Danville “Outstanding Citizenship Award.”
The Federal and State Department of Aviation and Emergency Services recognized Pete for his loyal service with many awards.
A room at the FAA in Washington, D.C. is named for him in his honor.
In August 1985 he was the recipient of the “Sunrise” Appreciation Award at the Virginia State Aviation annual meeting.
It was presented by the Federal Aviation Administration for “performing extraordinary services at the Danville Regional Airport.”
The award is only given periodically to someone in aviation who has accomplished significant changes for growth of their airport facility.
Also in 1993, Pete was honored with two awards at the Virginia Emergency Management annual meeting.
First, he received the Fourth Annual Warren E. Trent Individual Achievement Award for excellence and dedication to the Emergency Management profession in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Pete was also presented a framed resolution recognizing 40 years of dedicated service to the City of Danville and for being “one of the most active and contributing members that the Virginia Emergency Management Association has ever had the privilege of calling a member.”
Second, he was honored by having a perpetual award named for him, which will be presented each year, in the name of Clarence P. Rea Jr. to an organization that shows excellence in emergency service and has made a dedicated contribution in Virginia Emergency Management.
Mr. Rea is survived by a sister, Catherine Rea Arritt Fitzgerald of Covington; niece Ann Honeycutt of Richmond; nephews Steve Honeycutt of Florida, Tom Harris of Danville; goddaughter Zolia Brown and her daughter, Jessica Brown Prussin, and her husband, A.J. Also surviving are special friends Barbara and Don Gunnell and Brenda Gregory, his secretary of 30 years, and her husband, Davis.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Moseley Memorial United Methodist Church or The Alzheimer’s Association.
The family will receive friends Friday from 7 until 8:30 p.m. at Townes Funeral Home. A funeral service will be conducted Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mountain View Cemetery.
