Dr. John Lance Andersen Reese, 88, of Gulf Breeze passed away at the home he loved on Monday, April 21, 2025.

John, also known as Lance to many, was born in Pensacola, FL on May 25, 1936. An only child, he was raised by his mother. His father, while surveying in Alaska with the US Coast and Geodetic Survey, was lost at sea when the dory he was in capsized October 1, 1936. The bay he was surveying was named after him, Reese Bay as well as a mountain, Mount Marshall Reese located on the N coast of Unalaska, Aleutian Islands. John was very proud his father was acknowledged for his service and sacrifice and had always hoped to visit the remote area. His youth was an incredibly active one. Always the curious one, open for an adventure and a challenge, he began scuba diving at age 13. His love of diving never waned and would be invaluable later in life. He truly was an avid lover of water- whether it be spearfishing, setting a net, boating, fishing or finding artificial reefs he was up to the challenge. He became interested in another lifelong love at an early age- Amateur Ham Radio. His license produced his call sign W4GMS and netted him many friends. He loved talking to other radio enthusiasts around the world and mapped those locations. He enjoyed assisting with Civil Defense for emergency communications with the city.

After graduating from Pensacola High School in 1954, he attended and graduated from Florida State University, 1958. His academic interest lay in dentistry where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery or DDS from Loyola in New Orleans 1963. Once having completed a year internship at the VA in New Orleans, he moved back home in 1964, to start practicing dentistry. Gulf Breeze was the perfect place to raise children and he aimed to do his part to help the community.

His first marriage produced his pride and joy, his five children. Upon marrying Jamie Gingles in 1977, his family increased to seven children with the addition of her two and shortly thereafter their beloved Weimaraner, Toby. The summers were total chaos with seven kids under one roof and he loved it. As his children grew, he became even more active in the Gulf Breeze Community.

The Gulf Breeze Volunteer Fire Department was a place of accomplishment. He loved being a part of this worthy organization for over 20 years. In 1981, while repairing communications equipment he was asked to join. He spent countless hours there, running calls, teaching, and working for better equipment. He was instrumental in acquiring a Defibrillator and the Jaws of Life for the department. He was proud to hold the position of Assistant Fire Chief and Captain.

Forever the student, he wanted to increase his skills and knowledge so he earned his EMT Certification in 1983. Furthering this he challenged the board in order to get his Paramedics License and succeeded. Search and Rescue was his next adventure; after passing the state exam he became a rescue diver for the Unit as well as for the Santa Rosa County Fire Dept Rescue Unit. The feeling of being able to help those in need kept him motivated.

John also served as Police Auxiliary for years, another position he loved. He enjoyed and took seriously traffic duty and working community events. He held other numerous positions and earned many awards throughout his lifetime in Gulf Breeze and surrounding areas; Serving as Chairman of the Fire Board for the City of Gulf Breeze, Capital Trust Agency, Advisory Board for the EMT/Paramedics for Pensacola Junior College, Vice Chairman of the Navarre Beach administrative board for fire and police protection, Active in Civil Defense for Milton and Gulf Breeze, and Communications officer. Commendation for rescue dive from City of Gulf Breeze 1983, Gulf Breeze Rotary Community Service Award 1985, Certificate of Appreciation 1985 Pensacola Junior College EMT/Paramedic Program, Officer of the Year Captain GBVFD, Nelda Cambell Award 1988, Acknowledgment FOP 1989, Citizen of the Year GB Rotary Club 1995, just to mention a few and our favorite Proclamation from the City of Gulf Breeze declaring October 4, 1988, as J. Lance Reese Day.

He retired from his practice in Gulf Breeze in 2001 after 40 years of dentistry and a job well done. Climbing his beloved radio tower(s) (falling 19 feet to the ground after stepping back to admire his work) or jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, he was diving, fishing, hunting, soldering, building radios, volunteering, or communicating. Fighting a fire, responding to an emergency medical situation, an automobile accident, teaching a course or completing a root canal, he was ready and willing to serve his community working tirelessly to make it better.

He was a true Renaissance man, excelling in countless areas and serving as a source of wisdom and guidance for many. His kind heart, encouraging words, and interesting personality, filled with unforgettable anecdotes-such as “giving a brass monkey a headache”-made him truly unique. Deeply loved by many, especially his family, he left an enduring impact on the community he cherished.

John is preceded in death by his parents, Lt. JG Marshall Hudson Reese and Doris Andersen Reese.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Jamie Gingles; his children, Dr. Lance Reese (Ivy) of Gulf Breeze, Eric Reese (Bridget) of Baton Rouge, Sheri Thistlethwaite (Ric) of Washington, LA, Michelle Partenheimer (Ingolf) of Baton Rouge, Noelle Reese of Gambrills, MD, John Stanhagen (Debbie) and Meredith Davis (Frank) both of Gulf Breeze; grandchildren, Emma Reese, Alex Reese, Ryan Reese, Robert Hebert (Kelly), Christopher Hebert (Taylor), Brent Stanhagen, Katie Bonner (Seth), Hayden Davis (Rebecca), and Hunter Davis (Haley); great-grandchildren, Shepard Davis, Brady Davis, Emily Bonner and William Hebert.

A visitation will be held 10-11:30am Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel. Private family interment will follow at St. John’s Cemetery.

The family would like to extend special thanks to Emerald Coast Hospice and their excellent care provided to John, acknowledging Tricia and Corina, as well as his best friend and 24-hour partner in life, Jamie.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Gulf Breeze Volunteer Fire Department, 313 Fairpoint Dr., Gulf Breeze, FL 32561.