Lillian "Jill" (Reeder) Kendall

KENDALL, Lillian “Jill” (nee Reeder) passed away on June 11, 2024 at the age of 81. 

Born on January 23, 1943 in Palm Beach, Florida, to Jack Dodds Reeder and Ollie Hale Reeder, she resided in Dayton, Ohio. Her early life revolved around horses, first being placed on a horse at age two and participating in her first show at five. She trained with King Tullis when she was young, and by the age of 16 she was hitching a horse trailer to the back of her Crosley station wagon (painted in Oakwood High School colors of blue and gold) and going to Michigan to train with Max Bonham in the summers. She began riding with the Miami Valley Hunt as a junior member in 1960. Jill competed nationally throughout the remainder of high school before heading off to Pine Manor College, her horse Whitewasher in tow. She continued to compete up and down the East coast year round, and after two years transferred to Ohio University graduating with a degree in education in 1965. Her family was very involved with the Dayton Horse Show, where she competed every year in the hunter/jumper class. It was there in August of 1965 that she first met Tom. To her parents surprise they eloped six weeks later and they were married for 58 years until Tom’s death in 2023. 

While raising her children, Jill continued her involvement in the equestrian community around Dayton, both with the Dayton Horse Show working on PR and course design, and as the whipper-in with the Miami Valley Hunt. Many summer nights were spent at the fairgrounds supporting her husband Tom as he practiced with the Shrine Mounted Patrol. She also began what would be a lifelong love of service and philanthropy after joining The Junior League of Dayton in 1969, eventually chairing the Town Hall Lecture Series. Jill was also the chairwoman of Community Center for Perpetual Development, a teaching guide at the Cox Arboretum, and a member of the board of directors of the Dayton Horse Show. Joining Dayton Country Club in 1977 began a new chapter for Jill, when she added golf and tennis to her very active life. DCC also introduced many more opportunities for volunteering, heading up the ladies 18 hole group, the Greens Committee, and serving on the Board of Directors while co-chairing charity golf tournaments around Dayton. 

After her children left for college, Jill embarked on a career as a travel agent while continuing her involvement with DCC. While juggling work, volunteering, and golf, she added in travel to locations such as Europe, Egypt, Israel, and Africa. She was truly an adventurous spirit, and frequent sailing trips with friends to the British Virgin Islands led her to get her captains license as well as her scuba certification. She also continued her love of horseback riding with yearly trips to Jackson, Wyoming. Tom and Jill also enjoyed vacationing at their cabin in Northern Michigan and spending time with family and friends. They loved to entertain at their Runnymede home, and fall Saturdays would find a host of friends gathered to watch Ohio State football. Those years would also see frequent visits from grandchildren, who would often stay the entire weekend while Jill reveled in her role as “Nana”. Later years would see Jill and Tom slowing down somewhat, spending time with friends but also many peaceful evenings in front of the fire together, having dinner and a glass of wine, and rarely missing Wheel of Fortune. They had an unbreakable bond that only deepened as they aged. 

Jill was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Tom, and her brother Jack Reeder. She is survived by her daughters Kimberly Kelsch and Lisa (John) Packer and grandchildren Jack Kelsch (Lexi), Hannah Kelsch, Kelly Packer, Bridget Packer, and Hugh Packer, all of Cincinnati, and her brother Earl Reeder of Dayton. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Lisa Reeder, three nieces and one nephew.

The family would like to request that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Hospice of Southwest Ohio in deepest gratitude for their loving care of Jill. 

Services for Lillian will be held Friday, June 21, 2024, at Routsong Funeral Home in Kettering. Visitation will be held from 10:00am-11:00am, with the funeral service to immediately follow. A reception will be held at Dayton Country Club. Arrangements made by Routsong Funeral Home, 2100 E. Stroop Rd., Kettering, OH. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be made at www.routsong.com.