Naomi Reid

Naomi Reid, beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend passed away peacefully on July 11 following a sudden heart attack and brief hospitalization.

Naomi was born on May 18, 1949 in Eastport, Maine to Karl and Margaret Hislop. Her father was a minister and they moved a lot. Naomi grew up in Maine, New Hampshire, and Florida. She met her future husband, John, in New Hampshire, and they were married on July 8, 1967 in Merritt Island, Florida.

On April 26, 1982, she and John adopted two sisters, Belinda and Judy, ages 5 and 4. Naomi watched with pride as they grew and excelled in gymnastics (Belinda) and soccer (Judy). She was loving and supportive as they graduated from high school and began adult lives. Her love and nurturing continued with Belinda’s children, Dimitrius and Chessa and Judy’s children, Carl, Xavier, and Anika. She delighted in their activities and personalities as they matured. Recently she became a great-grandmother to Alayia and Anthony, children of Dimitrius and Aimee.

Naomi graduated from Merritt Island (Florida) high school, the University of Northern Colorado (BA in Home Economics), and the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work (MSW). Her career in social work encompassed employment in child protective services, residential placement for adolescent girls, women’s shelters, adoption placements, and a private practice as a therapist specializing in adoptions. For over 20 years before her retirement in 2020, she was employed at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health where she provided therapy for young children including victims of early childhood trauma.

Naomi’s interests included writing, singing, painting, and crocheting. She wrote and published several articles and stories on adoption issues as well as an unpublished manual for prospective adoptive parents which she used in her work. She hosted a regular karaoke night for the residents of the senior cooperative where she lived. She enjoyed painting and was beginning to resume that activity. And she was a long-time member of a knit/crochet group that met weekly in Aurora. She also was serving in a leadership role as a board member of the cooperative.

Naomi will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. She leaves behind her husband John, daughter Judy Garr, son-in-law DJ Garr, grandchildren Dimitrius Jones, Carl O’Rourke, Xavier Garr, Anika Garr, and Chessa Reid and great-grand children Alaiya Naomi Jones and Anthony Jones and Aimee Cabrera, the mother of Alaiya and Anthony. Her biggest legacy is her love and devotion to family and friends and will never be forgotten.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the American Heart Association.