Velma Reece, 94, of the Springfield area, passed away, after a short illness, on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Mercy Hospital Springfield, surrounded by her family. She was born June 22, 1931, in Watts, Oklahoma to Finnis and Margaret (Galbraith) Seratte.

Velma was the second of ten children and the oldest daughter. Her family lived in the Westville area for several years before settling in Westville, where she attended and graduated from high school and enjoyed playing basketball. A few years after graduation, Velma and her brother Ed moved to Wichita, later helping the rest of their family relocate there in the early 1950s.

While working at Boeing in Wichita, Velma met and married Gerald Reece. Together they had two sons, Gary and Michael. The fall after Michael was born, the family moved to Nevada, where Gerald began teaching math. During those years, Velma worked part-time at a local bookstore and ran the concession stand at the baseball field for several summers before beginning a long career with Sears, first as a secretary and later as a human resources director.

In the early 1980s, Velma returned to Wichita and continued working for Sears until her retirement. Never one to stay idle, she later worked for an American Family Insurance agency during the day and at Montgomery Ward in the evenings. After the store closed, she moved in 2003 to Springdale, where she continued working for Kohl's and Burlington well into her 80s.

In 2020, Velma moved to the Springfield area to be closer to her family, especially her grandchildren. She especially loved watching them play sports and was able to attend her grandson Kyler's senior night basketball game just one week before her passing.

Velma is survived by her son, Mike Reece; grandsons, Josh and wife Amanda, Zach and wife Jessica, Drew and wife Alliyah; great-grandchildren, Kyler, Blake, Kate, Mercedes, Carmen, and Olive; sisters, Peggy and husband Woody, Pat, Sharon, Glenda and husband Jack; sister-in-law, Eva; along with many nieces, nephews, other family, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Finnis and Margaret Seratte; son, Gary Reece; grandsons, Matthew and Brad; brothers, Edward and Frank Seratte; sisters, Pauline, Floye, and Melba; sister-in-law, Carolyn; and brothers-in-law, Ralph Abraham, Bill Adkerson, Jerry Scharff, and Jerry Faulkner.

Memorial services will be 2:30PM, Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Wilson-Griffin Funeral Home, Ash Grove.