Iris Reeves, former Baltimore City councilmember, dies

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Iris Reeves, who served in the Baltimore City Council and was a past president of the Baltimore League of Women Voters, died of heart failure May 23 at Springwell Senior Living in Mount Washington. She was 85.
'My mother was a woman of quiet strength, determination, and drive,' said her son, Norman V.A. Reeves III. 'Iris wanted to help people, and she did. She had a bright spirit that touched the people she encountered.'
Born in Burlington, North Carolina, she was the daughter of Lucian Gant, a Western Electric painter, and Mabel Hazel Gant, a teacher. She was a member of the National Honor Society, the Future Homemakers of America and played saxophone in the school band. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in social work at Howard University.
While at Howard, she met her future husband, Norman V.A. Reeves Jr. They married in 1962.
'They bonded because they shared an affinity for jazz,' said her son. 'They settled in the Fairmount neighborhood near Windsor Hills. When the time came, they both fought the construction of the Interstate highway through Leakin Park and West Baltimore.'
Ms. Reeves became a psychiatric social worker with the State of Maryland and continued as a school social worker and later a student placement specialist with Baltimore City Public Schools. She served in the Maryland Office of Personnel as a legislative specialist.
She worked behind the scenes for her husband when he began campaigning for a seat in the Baltimore City Council from the old Fifth District of Northwest Baltimore. After waging several campaigns in the 1970s, he was elected in 1979 and became the first Black candidate to serve the district. After his 1983 death, the council voted to appoint her to fill his term.
'In three subsequent elections, my mother was reelected to the council by very substantial margins and became a powerful political voice in her own right,' her son said. 'She connected to people through grassroots and community forums. She knew her neighbors, too. She had an infectious smile, pleasant spirit and vibrant personality.'
Former Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke said, 'Iris was a warm and sensitive person who loved constituent service.'
A City Council colleague, Rochelle 'Rikki' Spector, said, 'When she came on the Council and joined Vera Hall and me, we three were like sisters. We had a close personal relationship that benefited all our constituents. Iris was quiet, loving, patient and kind. She was a peacemaker.'
Popular in the community, she also served as a past president of the Baltimore League of Women Voters, League for the Handicapped, American Civil Liberties Union, Fairmount Neighborhood Association, New Democratic Coalition, Women's Power, Inc., Baltimore City Commission for Children and Youth, and the Leukemia Society.
She enjoyed traveling with her husband. They decorated their home with African art.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Macedonia Baptist Church of Baltimore City, 718 W. Lafayette Ave.
Survivors include her son, Norman V.A. Reeves III, of Hagerstown; two granddaughters; and a great-granddaughter. Her husband, Norman V.A. Reeves Jr., died in 1983. Her daughter, Traci A. Reeves, died in 1990.
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