Gladys V. Payne Reed

Gladys V. Payne Reed departed this earthly life on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 in Washington, DC.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at 12 noon in the sanctuary of Siloam Baptist Church, Montross, Virginia.

The interment will follow in the church cemetery.

A public viewing will be held on Friday, November 28, 2025 from 4-6pm in the chapel of Weldon-Fisher Funeral Home 

A public viewing will also be held on Saturday, November 29, 2025 from 10am until the start of service at Siloam Baptist Church, Montross, Virginia.

REFLECTIONS OF A LIFE WELL LIVED

GLADYS PAYNE REED'S OBITUARY 

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. 

- Psalm 116:15  

Early Life Gladys Virginia Payne Reed began her earthly journey on September 11, 1937, in Montross, Westmoreland  County, Virginia. In the early morning hours of Wednesday, November 12, 2025, God opened the Lamb’s Book of Life and  called His daughter to life eternal.  

The eldest child of Rachel Ann Payne Smith and William Earl Roy, Sr., Gladys was lovingly raised on the family homestead  by her grandparents, Laura and Thomas Payne, whom she affectionately called “Mama” and “Pappy.” Her childhood was  rooted in faith, family, and compassion. In that nurturing environment, she learned the values of servitude, integrity,  honesty, kindness, respect, and hard work—principles that guided her throughout her life.  

Faith and Church Service  

Gladys confessed her faith in Christ and was baptized at an early age at Siloam Baptist Church, where she remained a  devoted member until her passing. After relocating to Washington, D.C., she worshipped as a watch-care member at  Delaware Baptist Church. Her service was steadfast—she served in the Nurse’s Ministry and Usher’s Ministry at both  churches and taught youth Sunday School at Delaware Baptist Church. Gladys was not only a reader of the Word but a doer,  living out her faith daily.  

Marriage and Family 

On July 28, 1956, Gladys was united in Holy Matrimony to the late George W. Reed. Their union was blessed with three  children, one of whom preceded her in death. Family was her greatest treasure. She was a devoted mother, grandmother,  great-grandmother, and most recently, a great-great-grandmother. Her love extended beyond her immediate family —she  nurtured nieces, nephews, cousins, and even her goddaughter with unwavering care. Gladys was the glue that held the family  together, always giving selflessly and loving deeply.  

She revered her ancestors and selflessly nurtured and cared for her late aunts, Sarah Thompson and Lillie Payne, especially  during their golden years. She was the epitome of the ‘big sister’ often depicting the role of parent to her siblings and her cousin  Arthur, whom she embraced as a brother, protecting and correcting them as only a loving parent would do. However, the  magnitude of her love for family extended far beyond her siblings. She played pivotal roles in the rearing of her grandchildren,  Nicole, George and ShaLinda; her nieces, Brigitte Kohn, DeLessert Lee, Joyce Ward, and Lamika Payne; her Goddaughter,  Deborah Payne; and her cousins, William “Billy” Thompson, Jr. and Paulette Payne. Gladys was the glue that held the family  together. She loved hard and gave of herself unselfishly to all. If you needed anything and she had it – it was yours!

Education and Career  

Gladys received her early education in the Westmoreland County Public School System. After moving to Washington,  D.C., in 1960, she earned her G.E.D. from Woodson Night School and pursued her passion for nursing at the Medical Aid  Training Schools, Inc., becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant. Her career spanned more than 50 years, beginning at Quality  Care, Inc., continuing at D.C. Village, and culminating in her retirement from the United States Soldiers & Airmen Home  in May 2009 after 36 years of dedicated service. Caring for others was not just her profession—it was her calling.  

Passions and Personality 

Gladys was happiest when serving others. A true missionary at heart, she visited the sick and shut-in, prepared meals, ran  errands, and provided for those in need. Her generosity knew no bounds. She also found joy in cooking and baking—her  homemade caramel cake and assortment of cookies were legendary among family and friends. Holidays were marked by tins  of her special treats, lovingly prepared and shared. She cherished traveling with her children and grandchildren, creating  memories that will endure for generations.  

Legacy of Love 

Even as her health declined, Gladys remained steadfast in her faith, attending church virtually and continuing to worship  with all her heart. Her life was a testament to perseverance, devotion, and love.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, George W. Reed; her parents, Rachel Smith and Earl Roy, Sr.; her grandparents,  Laura & Thomas Payne; her son, Anthony; her brother, Lewis Payne; her sisters, Estelle Kohn and Hazel Washington; her  cousin, William “Arthur” Thompson, Sr., her maternal aunts & uncles, and her close friends, Alverta Branson and Mae  Branch-Whitfield.  

Though we mourn, we do not mourn as the world does for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Gladys  ‘rode out her storm’ and has received her wings. She has left a great legacy for our family to follow.  

Left to carry on her great legacy are her daughters - Linda Brown (Johnny) and Helen Johnson (George, Sr);  5 grandchildren – Nicole Garrett, Keysheria Gales, George Johnson, Jr., ShaLinda Johnson, & Tarrieyah Justice;  6 great-grandchildren – Dontrell Garrett, London Garrett, Taylor Garrett, Sativa Gales, Isaiah Gales,  

& Jacob Gales; 1 great-great grandchild – Simone Garrett; 4 sisters – Anna Roy, Frances Keys,  Hazel Walker, Rilla Gaither (Frank); 1 brother – Earl Roy, Jr. (Joyce); 14 nieces; 11 nephews; a host of great nieces and nephews, a devoted special friend – Zollie Pepper, and a host of cousins and other relatives. Also left to mourn her loss are dedicated friends Ann Haupt and Mattie  

Akins; and caretakers, including her long physician, Dr. Chike Onwuka.  

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[a]  

or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

- Revelation 21:4

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