Reita Jordan

We lost our wonderful Reita on Dec. 22, 2021. Reita Ruth West was born Friday, Oct. 11, 1935, on her grandparents’ farm near Neosho Falls. She attended local schools until the summer of 1951, when the historic Neosho River flood destroyed her parents’ home in Neosho Falls. Her family then moved to nearby Iola. Reita attended Iola High School, graduating in 1953. It was there she met her husband, Scott Jordan. They moved to Kansas City, Kan., where they welcomed their son and twin daughters. The family then moved to Hiroshima, Japan, where her husband was stationed with the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission. 

Reita enjoyed her two years in Japan, made many friends, traveled the country, and shopped in local markets. She took courses in Japanese flower arrangement and learned how to prepare Japanese food.

The family moved to Albuquerque in 1965. Reita learned loom weaving and created many yards of cloth, many garments, and pillows in her weaving studio Las Pajaritas, located in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Her beautiful creations were shown at numerous arts and crafts shows and she actively participated in the “Sheep to Shawl” exhibit at the New Mexico State Fair. 

Her daughters were both blessed with finely handwoven wedding dresses. Reita was an avid grower of irises, especially aril irises, which originally were from desert areas of the Middle East. She served as president of several Albuquerque iris clubs and was membership chairman/treasurer for the Aril Society International for almost 30 years. Reita also loved to find and identify native New Mexico wildflowers. She enjoyed many flower walks and hikes. Reita was an avid reader of fiction, loved jigsaw puzzles and was a master at Scrabble.

Inspired by a great-grandmother, she became a family history buff. Using great-grandmothers and LDS records, Reita found five ancestors who were passengers on the Mayflower in 1620. Reita said that her great-grandmother would have been delighted to have known of this family connection to the past.

Reita is survived by Scott, her husband of 66 years; children, Scott (Eileen) Jordan Jr., Carrie (Jeff) Stephens, and Carla (Rex) Bullard; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. Reita’s love and kindness towards everyone will be greatly missed.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20 at FRENCH-University.

Please visit the online guestbook at www.FrenchFunerals.com.