County elected officials honored former supervisor Jack B. Reese with a proclamation on Tuesday.

Reese, who represented Del Norte County District 1 and served twice as board chair, died on Sept. 8, his daughter, Angela Reese, told the Wild Rivers Outpost. He was 84.

“People respected him because he was very forthright,” Angela Reese said. “He considered everybody’s feelings and opinions. He did his homework.”

Reese was a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army before moving to Del Norte County in 1978 to take a job as a sergeant in the sheriff’s office, Angela Reese said. He served on several community boards, owned a commercial hydroponic business and, she said, wasn’t given to sugar-coating his opinions.

According to the Board of Supervisors’ proclamation, Reese was known for his direct approach to addressing issues with constituents and fellow lawmakers. He was elected to represent District 1 in 1993 and re-elected in in 1997, according to the proclamation.

Jack Reese served as board chair in 2000 and again in 2004, according to the proclamation.

On Sept. 9, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office lowered its flags to half-staff in remembrance of Reese, noting on its Facebook page, that he served his country, county and community for more than 60 years.

“That’s dedication,” the Facebook post states. “When he retired from the DNSO, he said ‘I’m going to miss the people.’”

Angela Reese, who accepted the county's proclamation on behalf of her family Tuesday, said she saw a lot of compassion from her father over the years.

“I’d be over at the house and I’d answer the phone,” she said. “Members of the community would call and talk and talk and talk and he would just sit there and listen. He took everybody’s thoughts and cared about it. He based his decisions on that.”

Angela Reese said her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and had surgery. The cancer returned and had metastasized to his spine and bone. Reese said doctors gave Jack Reese a year to live in 2016.

“He lived three,” she said.

A memorial for Jack Reese will be held at the Veterans Memorial Hall on Oct. 12. According to Angela Reese, the public is invited.

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