Charlotte R. Reith

Charlotte R. Reith, 88, passed away January 3, 2018 in Olympia, Washington. She was born October 3, 1929 to Elrie and Margaret (Wood) Robinson in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Charlotte grew up in St. Francisville, Louisiana, where her father was the editor and publisher of the St. Francisville Democrat newspaper. Charlotte earned a B.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1951. On April 14, 1951, she married John L. Reith in Madison, Wisconsin. The couple lived in Washington, D.C. (1951-1953), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (1954-1960), and Silver Springs, Maryland (1961) before moving to their longtime home in Alexandria, Virginia (1962-2012), in the Hollin Hills subdivision. She moved to Redmond, Washington, in 2012 to be closer to her daughter. Charlotte was an award-winning artist working in ceramics and paper. She received the Award of Excellence in Porcelain at the 10th International Exhibition of Ceramic Art at the Smithsonian Institution in 1965. She became interested in village pottery in Burma after a trip there in 1991. Her field research was documented in papers presented at several academic symposia and the publication of two papers in the Journal of Burma Studies (Vols. 1 and 4). Charlotte also enjoyed travel, gardening, skiing, and rowing. When younger, she was a member of the Kiln Club of Washington, and the Potomac Valley Skiers. She is survived by her son, Michael E. Reith of Halifax, Nova Scotia; daughter, Kathryn M. Reith of Lacey, Washington; and four grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, John L. Reith; and brother, James Robinson. Please leave memories of Charlotte or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.