Jeremiah "Jerry" Reedy

Jeremiah “Jerry” Reedy, age 91, passed away peacefully at his home in Mendota Heights, MN, on May 28, 2025.

Jerry was a lifelong scholar and beloved father, grandfather, teacher, and friend. He was a deeply devout Catholic and will be remembered for his intellect, eccentricities, and unwavering commitment to education. He was born in Rapid City, SD, on May 17, 1934. After graduating from Vermillion High School in 1952, he pursued higher education with a passion, studying briefly at St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN and St. Bonaventure University in NY, before making the decision to complete his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, IT in 1958 (where he started taking a siesta, a practice he continued for the rest of his life). He returned to Vermillion to teach at the University of South Dakota and earned an M.A. in Classics. Realizing that one M.A. was not enough, he then earned another M.A. and his Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. There he met his first wife, Dolores “Dee” (Farnella), whom he married in 1967. They moved to St. Paul, MN after he accepted a teaching position in the Classics Department at Macalester College, where he would teach until his retirement in 2004. He loved studying Latin and Greek, the origin of words, theology and philosophy, and he devoted the later part of his career to studying and writing about Greek philosophy. After he retired, he immediately started teaching Latin and Greek at the University of St. Thomas' School of Divinity, in St. Paul, MN. His scholarly contributions include numerous essays, articles, books and translations of ancient Greek and medieval Latin texts. He also enjoyed writing about his life and published a book about his time at Macalester and his memoirs. A passionate advocate for classical education, Jerry was the founding chair of the New Spirit School (now known as St. Paul City School) in St. Paul, MN and the founder of Seven Hills Classical Academy in Bloomington, MN.

Jerry traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and Africa. He visited Greece more than 25 times! He was an avid reader. He loved to ride his bike. He enjoyed walking at the Mall of America. He loved beer and ice cream, butter and salt. He was a member of numerous academic societies and clubs, including the National Association of Scholars. He joined the Wordos, a group of retired teachers, editors and publishers who took delight in finding and correcting grammatical errors in mass media. He had a love for classic cars and enjoyed driving around in his BMW convertible, which he purchased in his 80s.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Alice, his father, John, his brother and two sisters, his wife, Dolores “Dee” in 1988 and his second wife, Mary Ann in 2024. He is survived by his two children: His son, Jerry Reedy, M.D. (Brenda, and daughters, Carissa and Briana) and his daughter, Shannon Parkos, M.D. (Mike, and children, John and Josephine).

Mass of Christian burial will take place at 11:00 on June 5, 2025, at Church of St. Peter in Mendota, MN with a visitation one hour prior. In lieu of flowers, please direct any memorial contributions to the Jeremiah Reedy Prize in Classics at Macalester College.