My favorite memory of Renee is kind of boring. It doesn't take place anywhere exciting, and it doesn't involve anything special.

It was, just, at our dinner table.

I was 16, she was eight years old.

In the midst of some homework, she ran up to me, a smile beaming across her face. She wanted to show off her favorite birthday present - brand new Nintendo DS. Renee knew I loved video games, and she was so proud to tell me that, now, we could play together. For the longest time I never could figure out why this, of all the memories I made with my sister, stuck with me the most. What was it about this simple exchange? Then, it hit me. There was nothing special about this moment in time. It was mundane; an everyday, run-of-the-mill weekday evening. It was boring. Renee made those moments special.

It's all about that smile. The one that streaked across her face as an eight-year old kid, and never changed no matter her age. Renee's smile was her trademark. It often meant she was up to no good, causing her usual brand of mischief. It was also a smile that brought light and laughter to those who knew her best. It was exactly this unique brand of light, laughter, love and daily mischievous shenanigans that made even the most boring of moments worth remembering. Every moment was special when you were around Renee, and you never really knew what would happen next. But, that is far from where her impact ended.

If any one person could ever be love personified, it was Renee. It mattered not whether you were family, friend, a stranger or an animal on the street; Renee saw you, cared for you, loved you and most likely gave you one of her famous bear hugs.

Renee Elizabeth Reed, of Hixon, Tennessee and Fort Wayne, Indiana, was born in Fort Wayne on March 9, 1999 to James Reed and Theresa (Mertes) Rigg. And, on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, Renee passed away, at the age of 24, in Chattanooga, Tennessee surrounded by those who knew her best. She is survived by her mother, Theresa (John Thach) Rigg, of Hixon, TN, father James (Robyn) Reed of Ft. Wayne, IN, brother Chris (Liz) Reed, sister Kelly Reed and nephews Ryan and Kyle Reed of Warsaw, IN, grandparents Gene Mertes of Ft. Wayne and Martin and Rosalie Reed of Owosso, MI, as well as many aunts, uncles, and friends.

But, this is not where Renee's story ends.

Renee was loving, fierce, determined, outgoing, helpful and brave. And she inspired all those she touched in this life to live in the same loving, carefree and unfiltered way that she did. Her presence is felt in the moments when someone needs a laugh or a hug, or an animal needs a home. And her unique and quirky take on living will keep on bringing light and laughter to many lives that have yet to be touched, because there are people on this earth who knew Renee Reed.

And the world is better for it.

Funeral services for Renee will be held on Thursday, December 7 at Divine Mercy Funeral Home (3500 Lake Ave., Ft. Wayne, IN) at 11 a.m. Visitation will be on Wednesday, December 6, from 4-8 p.m. The families preferred memorial is the Autism Society of Indiana, found online at www.autismsocietyofindiana.org, or by mail at 10255 Commerce Dr. Ste. 164, Carmel, IN 46032.