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Stella Reed, librarian
By Bart Barnes, Published: August 1
Stella Reed, 90, a children’s librarian who organized poetry and story
writing classes at branch libraries in Arlington and Alexandria, died of
respiratory complications July 25 at Woodbine Rehabilitation and Nursing
Center in Alexandria.
From the early 1960s until she retired about 1985, Mrs. Reed served at
the Cherrydale, Central and Aurora branch libraries in Arlington and the
Duncan branch library in Alexandria, where she led story hours and
conducted crafts workshops for children.
She organized a publishing project in which children’s poetry and
illustrations were bound into books.
After her retirement, Mrs. Reed continued doing similar work as a
volunteer, providing story hours and crafts projects for people in shelters and
at Northern Virginia libraries.
Stella Swingle was a native Washingtonian and a graduate of Western
High School. In the early 1950s she moved to McLean, where she was a
stay-at-home-mother with three daughters. She graduated from George
Washington University and received a master’s degree in library science from
Catholic University.
She was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous with 34 years of sobriety,
and a member of the Serenity Club in Alexandria.
Her marriage to Stanley F. Reed ended in divorce. Her partner of 30
years, Louis Washington, died in 2010. They had lived together in Alexandria.
She moved to the Woodbine facility soon after he died.
Survivors include three daughters from the marriage, Nancy Chang of
Adelphi, Alexandra Lajoux of Fairfax County and Beryl Wolfe of Tucson; a
twin brother; another brother; a sister; and six grandchildren.
By Bart Barnes, Published: August 1
Stella Reed, 90, a children’s librarian who organized poetry and story
writing classes at branch libraries in Arlington and Alexandria, died of
respiratory complications July 25 at Woodbine Rehabilitation and Nursing
Center in Alexandria.
From the early 1960s until she retired about 1985, Mrs. Reed served at
the Cherrydale, Central and Aurora branch libraries in Arlington and the
Duncan branch library in Alexandria, where she led story hours and
conducted crafts workshops for children.
She organized a publishing project in which children’s poetry and
illustrations were bound into books.
After her retirement, Mrs. Reed continued doing similar work as a
volunteer, providing story hours and crafts projects for people in shelters and
at Northern Virginia libraries.
Stella Swingle was a native Washingtonian and a graduate of Western
High School. In the early 1950s she moved to McLean, where she was a
stay-at-home-mother with three daughters. She graduated from George
Washington University and received a master’s degree in library science from
Catholic University.
She was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous with 34 years of sobriety,
and a member of the Serenity Club in Alexandria.
Her marriage to Stanley F. Reed ended in divorce. Her partner of 30
years, Louis Washington, died in 2010. They had lived together in Alexandria.
She moved to the Woodbine facility soon after he died.
Survivors include three daughters from the marriage, Nancy Chang of
Adelphi, Alexandra Lajoux of Fairfax County and Beryl Wolfe of Tucson; a
twin brother; another brother; a sister; and six grandchildren.