From service to legacy: New fund honors Patrick Reese

A local man who dedicated his life to service is now giving back even in death thanks to a new endowment fund set up through the Tipp City Foundation.

The endowment fund called Be the Match Fund in memory of Patrick Reese was created earlier this year. It honors Patrick Reese who died last year from Acute Myeloid Leukemia. His wife, Chrystal, created the fund after Patrick’s devastating diagnosis.

“Our family first realized a need for a fund like this as he was fighting AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia),” said Chrystal Reese. “There were several specific times when his medical team recommended a course of treatment, then paused and questioned whether it would be covered by insurance or if it would have a significant impact on our finances. We were in the extremely fortunate situation where very few treatments were off limits for these reasons. We realized there were patients who had to make tough decisions based on factors outside medical ones. We hope to be able to help in some small way so that families can be relieved of some financial burdens in decision making.”

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Acute Myeloid Leukemia is a rare but aggressive cancer that affects your bone marrow and blood. Patrick was first diagnosed in 2022 and immediately jumped into treatment, including a bone marrow transplant.

Nearly a year after his diagnosis, Patrick’s son Nate donated the cells for the transplant. Despite a successful transplant, his AML relapsed. He died a year later.

His family wanted to give back to the organization that helped him. The National Marrow Donor Program, formerly called Be The Match, is the leading nonprofit helping match patients with potential marrow and stem cell donors.

“Our experience was great,” said Chrystal. “Patrick's brothers and our children were tested for potential matches and his data was also compared to potential donors worldwide. He matched with 10 unknown donors and our children were half matches. For multiple reasons our son Nate was chosen as his donor. His experience with NMDP was excellent and the transplant process went well.”

Even before Patrick got sick, giving back and serving his community was the backbone of who he was. After graduating with a Masters in Engineering Sciences from Penn State, Patrick joined the U.S. Air Force in 1991. Over 22 years of service, the Reese family had been stationed all over the country before finally moving to the Tipp City area in 2011 when Patrick was assigned to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Chrystal says they connected with the community immediately.

“By the spring of 2012 he deployed and our experience of having a small town jump in to support our family began. Our children graduated from Bethel in 2012 and 2014. Patrick retired from the USAF in 2013. We chose to stay here and have loved this community,” said Chrystal.

Another way Patrick gave back was by joining the board of the Tipp City Foundation. He served as a representative from Bethel Township.

Bill Wendel, the Tipp City Foundation Vice President and Secretary, worked with Patrick on two different boards.

“Patrick exemplified thoughtful leadership and reinforced the value of consistently living up to ideals and responsibilities while maintaining a sense of humor,” said Wendel. “Being part of our community was important to Patrick. I think he knew that great communities don’t just happen, they require hard work. And he was more than willing to put in the work.”

Chrystal hopes that Patrick’s legacy will not only help families battling cancer but also encourage the younger generation to get involved in their communities.

“We have always tried to dive into the communities we live in. Community is everything. In our fast-paced society, maintaining connection and sharing life lessons is even more important than ever. Everyone has something to share, from a life lesson or story to tangible gifts like blood donations or financial gifts. You matter to your community!”

If you want to donate to the Be the Match in memory of Patrick Reese please scan the QR code that accompanies this story.