Jamie Sue Reed
Jamie Sue Reed, 58, beloved wife and mother of two, entered into rest peacefully on Oct. 18th, 2024, surrounded by her loving family, friends, and pets. She contended with multiple illnesses through the years but joyfully pursued her passions regardless of her health. She is survived by her husband, Chris Gungor of Fuquay Varina, NC, and her children, Zane and Isabella Potorti of Raleigh NC.
Jamie Sue was born in Tucson, Arizona, and lived in Long Beach, California, Houston, Texas, and Honolulu, Hawaii. In California, she attended Glendale Community College and California State University and was a high school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In Hollywood, she worked in post-production for film and television. After moving to North Carolina in 1999, she taught Special Education at Cary High School, Business Communication at NC State University, and worked at InterAct in Raleigh.
Her many childhood interests included a love of pets such as gerbils, guinea pigs, lizards, chinchillas, and a blue parakeet, and her adult home was shared with dogs, cats, rodents, and even a pig. An avid art aficionado, she loved the paintings of Mary Cassat, Frida Khalo, Salvador Dali, and Andy Warhol. She enjoyed writing and pursued a film degree before switching career paths.
Jamie Sue’s favorite pastime was creating her own art, primarily painting but also sculpture and drawing. She had a colorful and unique style, using many different mediums including glitter. She found joy in decorating her home with art, her own along with well-known works she appreciated. She also displayed her collection of different masks and vases from a variety of cultures.
Jamie Sue knew her time was limited, but showed no fear or regret. She defied the many expectations of her doctors and hospice workers and was a busy bee until days before her passing. Decorating every corner to create a home she loved, she made her dining area a “Blue Pig Cafe” complete with a neon sign and many pig artifacts. She created a beautiful, naturalistic headboard for her shared bed and bought metal art from second-hand stores, painting it to display in her garden. She loved being surrounded by colors.
Jamie Sue wished to be remembered as a loving person who was creative and grammatically correct, as well as full of joy. Her family agrees with this assessment and much more.
“Standing at this place in time where God fills my entire body with peace and light. I haven’t been afraid to love with my authentic self,” she wrote. “The needs of others are equal to my needs. People constantly surprise me with unexpected and extravagant kindnesses. I am not afraid to die. My timeline was mapped out by God. He didn’t ask for my opinion. For those I love and for my wonderful children, I will go home when I’m called.”
While flowers are welcome, donations also may be made to her favorite charity, The Elephant Sanctuary https://shop.elephants.com/give and The Lewy Body Dementia Association https://www.lbda.org/donate/ .