Deanna L. Reber

Loving wife, mother, friend, and nurse, Deanna Lynn Reber maintained her passion for her family and life's simple pleasures (especially Rita's Italian ice) throughout her courageous battle with COVID-19. On Sept. 4, 2021, in the presence and care of her family and friends at Reading Hospital, she passed from the hands of her loved ones into the arms of Jesus.

Throughout her fifty years, she collected moments and turned them into abiding memories to be revisited in her scrapbooks. The beautiful pages she crafted document her many hobbies, travels, and loved ones, and serve as a testimony to one of her favorite quotes: "In the end, it's not the years in your life that count; it's the life in your years."

For 28 years, and through every trial and celebration, she was a devoted and caring wife to her husband John Reber. Above all, she poured her heart and soul into raising her three children—Ryan (Laura Reber), Kelseyleigh (Ben Hepler), and Kyle Reber—and granddaughter Haylee Reber; they are forever her greatest source of pride and joy.

Deanna is also survived by her father Bud Ray and siblings, Michele (Michael Lill), Bruce Ray (Teri); and Colleen (Michael Vallonio); and Albert Ray. She was predeceased by her mother, Helen Ray, and three brothers and one sister: Michael Patrick Barlow, Mark Ray, Todd Ray, and Wendy Giordano, respectively.

Deanna loved to travel, especially to tropical places where she could stick her prize-winning feet in the sand beside blue water. Yet she always looked forward to coming home to her beloved St. Bernards, well-tended gardens, and current home improvement projects. Her door was open to family and friends, as long as they did not mind a little dog hair.

A thoughtful friend, Deanna frequently used her many artistic talents and craft skills to spread joy and a little glitter. She breathed new life into broken and discarded things to create countless treasures as a passionate DIYer. More often than not, she gifted her creations to others with great love and no expectations.

Unconditional love. Giving over receiving. Helping others. This was her way. The truth of it could be seen and felt in every aspect of her life, especially in her life-giving profession as an ICU nurse.

Deanna's bold and fierce disposition combined with an exceptionally tender and compassionate heart made her a natural leader and advocate for others—patients, families, and fellow nurses. While her service to the hospital extended far beyond her bedside care, as evidenced by her many leadership roles and achievements, her patients always came first. Tending to their needs, ensuring their quality of life, giving them hope and comfort—there are no accolades or titles to aptly praise the selfless nature of her career. There are only the stories of strangers, the patients who live today, the families whose loved ones returned home to them, all because they were blessed by her caring hands.

Although she performed her job for the betterment of others and never for her own glory, Deanna has earned many professional accomplishments in her 29 years at Reading Hospital. Deanna was founding member of the hospital's Emergency Response Team and served as its chair until 2017. She was founding member of the critical care division education council and nursing grand rounds, as well as chair of the Organizational Education Council and Prescription for Health conference planning committee for more than a decade. She also served as chair of critical care practice and coordinating councils and member of the sepsis team.

Deanna was a founder of the COACH nurse development team and served as a COACH nurse since the team's inception. She led the MICU Beacon designation writing team, which resulted in the unit's two Beacon designations. Deanna was a strong leader for Reading Hospital's Magnet designation, national recognition for nursing excellence, serving as co-chair and chair of the Magnet Champion Team, member of the Magnet Writing Team, Magnet Site Visit prep team and Magnet appraiser escort lead in 2016 and 2021.

Each year, Deanna helped to organize and lead several Magnet Champion community outreach projects, including the Pound per Person Challenge (which provides more than 8,000 pounds of food annually for Healthy Harvest) and the United Way Stuff the Bus-Adopt a Class project (which provides school supplies to students and teachers in three Reading Area School District Schools and all district school nurses).

Deanna also served as Nursing Gala Committee Co-Chair and Nursing Excellence Awards Co-Chair for 10 years and helped implement the annual Nightingale Tribute for deceased nurse colleagues.

She was a member of the Nursing Professional Practice Model Design team; shared governance redesign team, and the Professional Nurse Council.

Deanna received a diploma in nursing from Reading Hospital, completed her Bachelors of Science in Nursing degree, achieved and maintained Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification, and advanced to the level of RN IV in the nursing advancement program, developing the hospital's first Targeted Temperature Management protocol as her RN IV project. In 2019, Deanna was a recipient of the Reading Hospital Nursing Excellence Innovation Award for her contributions to implement predictive analytic tools for COACH nurses to identify patients at high risk for sepsis and clinical deterioration.

Deanna's legacy is the countless number of nurses she has precepted and mentored in her career. She will remain one of the most highly regarded and respected critical care nurses at Reading Hospital, and her work will live on through the several generations of nursing professionals forever impacted by her example.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration of life service scheduled for Sept. 14, 2021 at Kuhn Funeral Home in West Reading. Visitation will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a service to follow at 8 p.m. Masks are required. In lieu of flowers, please donate to https://www.gofundme.com/f/fighting-for-deanna. The remaining proceeds after medical expenses are covered will be used to start a nursing scholarship in Deanna's honor.

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, she became a butterfly."

Deanna's time in this world ended too soon. Deanna's dying wish was that no one else should have to experience the pain and heartache that she, her family, and so many others have suffered due to this illness. Please, if you are medically able, get vaccinated. Together, we can stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect one another.