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The Four Core Beliefs
Glenn Reese was raised in a family whose parents, Wilford and Ginny, had four core beliefs: the importance of family, religion, education and work. They truly loved one another and their children; Eleanor (Huneycutt), Glenn, Judy (Bradley) and James. Glenn has an abundance of aunts, uncles and cousins scattered all over the Piedmont and Western North Carolina.
As a native of Spartanburg County, Glenn Reese learned firsthand about the values and work ethic that define the people of Spartanburg County. Glenn's parents married in the middle of the Great Depression and started a family with nothing but love, hope and a strong work ethic. During the Depression his father became a minister while holding down multiple jobs and attending Furman University and later seminary in Louisville. Glenn learned from his father and started working at an early age as a paperboy, plus doing odd jobs for people in the church and the community. Every summer found him working. His first summer jobs were mostly in peaches, working both as a peach picker in the orchards, and in the peach sheds as a sorter. Glenn worked as a summer lifeguard at Silver Lake (near Lyman) for two years, then as head lifeguard at Rainbow Lake (north of Boiling Springs) from 1963 until its closure in September 1966.
First at Mars Hill Junior College and then at Auburn University, Glenn worked to pay his way through college initially as a cafeteria worker and then as a local barber. The hard work paid off in 1963 when Glenn graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was able to return to Spartanburg County to begin a career in education that would span nineteen years.
Due to the unexpected death of his father, W. W. Reese, in 1979, Glenn began to manage his father’s business, Spartanburg’s Krispy Kreme. This business was acquired in 1966, by his father, at 793 N. Church St (now a parking lot near the hospital). In 1969 his father moved Krispy Kreme to a new building on 351 N Church St (adjacent to the auditorium). In 2005 Glenn relocated to a larger building across the street at its present location. It is still a family business. In August 2014, Glenn and his family opened another Krispy Kreme in Anderson, SC. All of the family have worked at Krispy Kreme at some time or another. Since its start in 1966, the Reese family has been synonymous with small business.
In 1963, Glenn began officiating high school basketball and followed a pathway that would allow him to referee high school and college basketball for almost forty years. In the early 1970s Glenn joined an international referee association that officiated basketball games worldwide. In the early 1980’s Glenn was honored to join Campus Crusade for Christ and officiate a special series of international basketball games for six weeks throughout Eastern Europe including the Soviet Union before the fall of Communism.
How does such a variety of real life experiences prepare a person to become a South Carolina State Senator, a position Glenn has held since 1991? Glenn believes, "Because of my hard work ethic growing up, the experience of teaching school, running a business, and officiating sports, I was given the chance to meet people in all walks of life and learn how to deal with difficult situations. This has also helped me to become a good listener." Glenn believes that listening to people is what he does best. He tries to do what the citizens of District 11 want and represent them to best of his ability.
Married for 46 years, Glenn Reese resides north of Boiling Springs with his wife, Janis. Together, they have raised four grown children, Glenn, Jr., David, Kathryn (Britt), and Michael.
Overview of Glenn Reese's History
1942 – Born January 6
1959 – Graduated from Chapman High School (Inman, SC)
1959-61 –Attended Mars Hill Junior College and received his Associate in Arts. Attended Auburn University after that for 2 years and finished in 1963 where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree
1963 – Began teaching at James F. Byrnes High School and was a public school teacher for 19 years –Also teaching at Pacolet, Gaffney, and Boiling Springs High Schools
1963 – Began officiating High School Basketball
1967 – Completed a Masters in Education degree from Converse College
1970 – Married Janis Dearybury (June 19th)
1971 – Welcomed the birth of their first child Glenn Reese Jr.
1972 – Welcomed the birth of their second son David Reese
1973 - Opened the original “Timeout” Restaurants in Spartanburg (Poppy Square) and Boiling Springs (Liberty Square)
1975 – Welcomed the birth of their third child Kathryn Reese
1979--Became a Franchisee of Krispy Kreme
1980 – Sold “Timeout” Restaurants to devote time to Krispy Kreme.
1981 – Welcomed the birth of their fourth child Michael Reese
1982 - Left the education field but continued to officiate college basketball
1990 – Ran for Senate District 11
1991 – Current – State Senator for Senate District 11
2001 -2016 - Welcomed the births of 9 wonderful grandchildren!!!
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