Tupelo – Catherine Dale Reed Mize, 69, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend, passed away on Monday, September 7, 2026. It was the culmination of a life that was defined by love and bringing out the best in the people around her.

Born in Tupelo to Jack Reed, Sr. and Frances Purvis Reed on February 16, 1957, Catherine graduated from Tupelo High School and Hollins University. Catherine worked at her family business, Reed’s, for four decades in leadership, where she was a buyer and a favorite sales person for customers who relied on her smiling face and good taste.

Catherine married Paul Mize on June 20, 1981. Together they built a family centered on love, faith, hospitality, and the joy of being together. Her sons, Paul and Bennett, and their families, were her greatest source of pride. Catherine loved bringing people together around a table, and hospitality was one of the ways she expressed her love. Her home was a place where family and friends could gather, share a meal, laugh, talk and feel cared for. She entertained often and enthusiastically. Unsurprisingly, she lived a life surrounded by many wonderful friends, whom she cherished. She was an exceptional cook and elegant entertainer. She had a special gift for making others feel welcomed, valued and at ease, and a knack for seeking out those at a gathering who knew the fewest people – an out of towner, a new boyfriend or girlfriend of a guest, a teenager feeling out of place-and engaging them in warm conversation. She entertained beautifully with flowers, delicious food and a lovely table, but her real gift was her generous and inclusive spirit. Catherine faced cancer four different times over the course of her life, emerging each time as a survivor, yet she never allowed cancer to become the definition of her life. Instead, her life was defined by the way she loved. She was courageous and uncomplaining in the midst of hardship. She did not set out to be an inspiration, but she was to the many who witnessed her ability to weather the storms of life with good humor and grace.

She was a life-long member of First United Methodist Church Tupelo where she faithfully shared her gifts by serving in numerous roles. She was an active, fervent supporter of the Tupelo Public Schools. She cared deeply for her community and championed the arts, holding top leadership positions in United Way, Gumtree Museum of Art, Junior Auxiliary, Tupelo Reads, Tupelo Garden Club, and many other civic organizations. After her experience as a young patient at St. Jude Children’s Hospital, she became a member of the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study, a ground-breaking, ongoing research project to track and understand the needs of long-term survivors of childhood cancers. Participating in the study was physically challenging and lasted decades, but Catherine remained committed to contributing because she believed it was meaningful work that would impact the lives of children battling the disease in the future.

She is survived by her husband, Paul Mize; sons, Paul Mize, III (Bonnie) and Bennett Mize (Mattie); three grandchildren, Henry Mize, William Mize and Wylie Mize; siblings, Jack Reed, Jr. (Lisa), Camille Sloan (Crofton) and Scott Reed (Annette), numerous nieces and nephews, as well as many beloved friends.

Catherine is preceded in death by her parents, Frances Purvis Reed and Jack Raymond Reed, Sr.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Wesley Hall of First United Methodist Church Tupelo on Friday, September 11, 2026.

A Service of Death and Resurrection will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 12, 2026, at First United Methodist Church Tupelo, with Bishop William McAlilly and Rev. Keith Keeton officiating.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Martin Heslin and the staff in the Surgical ICU at UAB in Birmingham for their steadfast care. Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church Tupelo and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be left at www.peguesfuneralhome.com.