Jennifer Dashiell Reed

Jennifer Dashiell Reed, a devoted wife, mother, sister, community leaders and friend peacefully transitioned on January 22, 2025, in Denton, Maryland at the age of 72.

Born in Easton, Maryland on June 5, 1952 to Barbara Elaine Dashiell Jeffries and James B. Dashiell, Jennifer lived a life marked by love, generosity, and thoughtfulness that touched all who knew her.

Jennifer was educated on the Eastern Shore and pursued higher learning with dedication and distinction. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in 1974 and later achieved a master's degree in social work from the University of Maryland. Her academic accomplishments reflected her commitment to making a difference in the lives of others. She remained active and connected to the UMES community throughout the years. She most recently served as the committee chair for her UMES 50th class reunion celebration in 2024.

Jennifer was humble when it came to her incredible achievements and activities. Her priorities were always her faith in God followed by her devotion to family. Jennifer’s daughter, Laya Dashiell White was her greatest achievement. Born in 1979, Laya was her pride and joy. In addition to being her best friend, Laya and Jennifer enjoyed many activities together. In her free time, Jennifer loved all types of word games, television shows and participated in online tournaments with players from all over the world.

Jennifer lived a life of service. She joined Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) in 1972 while at UMES. She was a life member and Golden Soror with over 50 years of active membership. She was a charter member and served as the first President of the Kappa Theta Omega (KTO) Chapter in Easton, MD. She was also a Life Member of the NAACP and previously served as President of the Easton Chapter.

Service as an AKA was an important part of her life. Jennifer’s mother, Barbara Dashiell Jeffries was a driving force behind the establishment of the KTO Chapter in Easton, MD. Jennifer dedicated her time and talent to fundraising for the Pearls of the Easten Shore’s Barbara Dashiell Jeffries scholarships fund, named in her mother’s honor. She had a sense of pride knowing that she was helping to provide opportunities for college-bound young women on the Eastern Shore. Even more touching, her daughter, Laya worked alongside her as an AKA to carry on the family legacy.

Jennifer began her career in social work but made a shift into Human Resources with a focus on diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity. She held executive positions with Commercial Credit, Traveler’s Bank, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Kaiser Permanente. She retired from the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation as the Director of the Office of Fair Practices in 2018. A trailblazer, she was an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. Jennifer was a champion for creating and maintaining diverse workspaces. She was committed to honoring cultural differences while educating employees in an effort to reduce discrimination. Her goal was to make every employee feel seen, heard, valued and most importantly, safe.  

In 2000, Jennifer married the love of life, Raymond Reed. The two had a strong bond and were inseparable for nearly twenty years.

Jennifer was predeceased by her husband, Raymond Reed; her mother, Barbara Elaine Jeffries; and her father, James B. Dashiell. She leaves to cherish her memories her daughter, Laya White; her brother Eric l. Dashiell and his wife Glenda, three sisters, Laura Fontaine Kamerdze and her husband Joseph, Luvenia Draine and her husband Glen, Jo Ann Murray and her husband Vernon, her aunt Della Mae Teagle, and her “grand-kitties”, Smokey and Bandit.

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