Timothy P. “Tim” Reese was born at Carmel in Monterey County, California on February 5, 1964 and graduated from Salinas High School in Salinas, California in 1982.

Beginning in February 1984, Brother Reese was employed by Monterey Bay Photo Lab in the Del Monte Shopping Center in Monterey, using Noritzu Photo Processing. In January 1988, he began working for Myrick Photographic in Monterey.

By December 1990 Tim was employed at the notable Monterey Bay Aquarium. Brother Reese earned his First Responder Certificate (emergency medical response) from Monterey County and worked as a security officer/first responder for night events at the Aquarium until December 1992. He left this position to work for A-1 Rentals in Monterey in 1994, delivering and servicing small and medium range construction equipment. Since January 1997, Tim has been working for Swenson and Silacci Flowers and Gifts, based out of Salinas, delivering product for weddings, funerals, and other events.

In 1997, Tim was confirmed at St. Angela’s Catholic Church in Pacific Grove, California and subsequently began genealogical research on his family. He found Scandinavian ancestry on his father’s side, through which he joined the Sons of Norway, and found two Union ancestors on his mother’s side. Brother Reese’s great-great-grandfather, Isaac D. Robbins, served firstly as a Private in Company K, 26th Indiana Infantry, and secondly as a Sergeant in Company G, 146th Indiana Infantry. Tim’s great-great-granduncle, Montraville Robbins, also served for the Union, as a Private in Company K, 68th Indiana Infantry. Tim also recently discovered that his great-great-gandfather John C. Swift served as a Lieutenant in Company A, 18th Indiana Infantry. This latter find has led Tim to apply for membership in the Military Order of the Loyal Legion (MOLLUS).

Because of his Union ancestry, Brother Reese applied for membership in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and in January 2000 was assigned to Lincoln Camp No. 10 in Santa Cruz, California. Tim helped form the first Civil War veterans database out of the Monterey Public Library’s California History Room in August 2003. Tim served as Commander of Lincoln Camp No. 10 in 2005 and 2006 and has held numerous other appointed and elected Camp offices. In 2012 he was awarded the Department of California and Pacific’s Abraham Lincoln Exemplary Dedication Award and served as Department Commander in 2013-2014.

For a number of years, Tim was responsible for the coordination of the annual Civil War encampment at Fort Mervine on the lower quarter of the Monterey Presidio. He serves as a Corporal in Company C, 8th California Infantry, Sons of Veterans Reserve and also served two years as a Private in Company H, 2nd Wisconsin Infantry (Iron Brigade) of the American Civil War Association, but left to concentrate on his SUVCW, SVR and Central Coast activities. Brother Reese is a member of the Knights of Columbus Council No. 1948 and Sacred Heart Catholic Church, both in Salinas, California.