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Zemery Don Reece, a longtime Southern Baptist missionary to Nigeria, dies Aug. 22

  • September 2, 2020
  • TAB Media staff
  • Obituaries

Zemery Don Reece, a longtime Southern Baptist missionary to Nigeria, dies Aug. 22

Zemery Don Reece, a longtime Southern Baptist missionary to Nigeria, died Aug. 22. He was 88.

Reece and his wife, Gwen, were appointed by the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) in 1959 and spent 35 years serving the Nigerian people in various ways, including church development, education leadership, relief work and pastoral development.

They also served as house parents for missionary children, many of whom consider them a second father and mother.

For his relief work during the Nigerian Civil War, Reece was given the chieftaincy title Onotu of Amai. He concluded his work in Nigeria as mission director of the Baptist Mission of Nigeria.

After the Reeces retired, they were active members of First Baptist Church, Boaz, and Reece also served as an Alabama Baptist Disaster Relief volunteer.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky; a master of divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky; and a master of arts in educational supervision and principalship from Eastern Kentucky University.

Reece was preceded in death by his son, Bryan. He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn; son, Kevin; daughter, Paige; and three grandchildren.

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