A close friend, warm soul, and familiar presence to the Arkansas Democratic family passed away on Saturday due to COVID-19 at the age of 63. Beverly Reep was a beloved retired school teacher to countless children in Bradley County, a loving mother, wife of former state Representative and mayor of Warren Gregg Reep, and a devoted follower of Christ.

Her son Robb wrote about his mother’s passing on his news service, the Saline River Chronicle News.

This is undoubtedly the hardest post I have typed, or will ever type. I am heartbroken, shattered, and empty. My beautiful, talented, and loving Mother, Beverly Reep, went to be with the Lord today, April 18, at the age of 63.

Our family is devastated, but we are comforted by the fact that she is now with Jesus, and we will be reunited some day. We thank all of our readers for their prayers during this extremely difficult time.

The above photo is one of the greatest ways I will remember her until we meet again with Christ. This was taken in 2014 during the filming of Captain. My mother loved history, and made teaching children her life’s work. She sacrificed everything for me over the nearly 32 years we were given together on this earth. I have never known a better person.

Please continue to pray for my father Gregg, my wife Jessi and I, and our extended family as we deal with this sudden loss in our lives.

We will be releasing a formal obituary soon, but wanted to let our readers know at this time.

We know that my Mom touched so many lives in her time as a teacher, and understandably many of you will want to pay your respects. While we will be unable to hold a traditional funeral due to COVID-19, we do plan on holding a memorial service for her when some semblance of life gets back to normal and people are able to safely congregate in groups together again.

Again, thank you for your love and prayers for our family during this difficult time.

I’ll leave you with a verse from my Mother’s favorite chapter of the Bible.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.-1 Corinthians 13:13

Beverly fell ill after taking a dream vacation with her family to Europe. President Clinton has reached out to the Reep family. The family has asked for prayers and support as they navigate this difficult time.

“She had been sedated and on a ventilator since admission to the hospital on March 17. Her family had been quarantined in Warren throughout her hospitalization. A family friend said Gregg, a former state representative and mayor of Warren, and their son, Rob, both had been tested positive as well but were cleared earlier this week.

Beverly Reep had given a trip to Europe as a Christmas present to her husband. They and their son and daughter-in-law Jessi visited France, including the Normandy beaches, and England. They were aware of the concerns about the virus then but took many precautions, including frequent use of sanitizing wipes. When they returned to Warren on March 12, they took care not to return to work or normal activity. They stayed home. Symptoms developed a day or so after they returned. By Sunday, Beverly Reep had become sick enough to be admitted to a local hospital. She was transferred two days later to Little Rock. Her progress was a roller-coaster of ups and downs, the Reeps’ friend said, but her condition worsened last week.”