Whenever I am faced with grief due to the loss of someone important, I am reminded of Solon, a Greek philosopher, regarded as one of the fathers of democracy, who once said: “No man should consider himself truly happy until he is dead.”
By Gabriel I.H. Williams
Solon believed that it is at the post of a person’s life (upon death) that the verdict comes out as to how well the individual lived with others for good or for bad. It is that time when those who knew or interacted with the deceased, or were impacted by the action of deceased reminiscence.
Accordingly, this article is in memory of Madam Eva Bailey Reed, commonly known as Sis. Pet, whose sudden passing in Monrovia, Liberia on September 7, 2025, has caused immense grief and sorrow to her loved ones.
I got to know Sis Pet when I returned to Liberia from the US, following the end of Liberia’s civil war, during which I had fled the country because of death threats as a leader of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL). She had a very close relationship with my sister-in-law, Georgia Saulwas (also known as Mardea Redd), who was married to my first cousin, now late Col. Mark Brumkanjay Saulwas, employed at the Bureau of Immigration in Monrovia at the time of his death. I was a beneficiary of the sisterly bonds that existed between Sis Pet and Sis Georgia, who and her husband – my beloved brother Mark – hosted me for nearly a year at their home until I decided to move out and experience life on my own in post-war Liberia without the sense of security my brother provided.
Madam Eva Bailey Reed was an astute business woman, who operated a catering service that employed many, especially women – including Sis Georgia, a confidant who was entrusted with many responsibilities. She was also an humanitarian, who aided countless people – especially women and children desperately seeking help to survive, during Liberia’s brutal and barbaric civil wars and since the end of the crises.
Sis. Pet was regarded as a mother to many people, young and old, who she supported until her sudden demise. For example, there were several little girls she got from rural Liberia and from disadvantaged families living with her at home and they were given the opportunity to go to school. What does her sudden demise mean for the wellbeing and the future support of those little girls who depended on her support?
Sis Pet was also regarded to be one of the most influential layleaders (non clergy) in the United Methodist Church of Liberia. This is why, following her passing, the Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church of Liberia – the governing body of the church – issued a public statement remembering her devotion to the service of the church.
In the statement, the United Methodist Church Resident Bishop Samuel J. Quire extended profound condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased, stating: “For more than 45 years, Mother Reed was a strong supporter of the mission of the United Methodist Church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. She contributed immensely to the growth and development of the Liberia Annual Conference, leaving behind a legacy of faith, service, and dedication.”
The church tribute also noted that Madam Reed, who was a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church in Monrovia, served on several committees prior to her death, and her most recent was with the Episcopacy Committee, which is responsible to seek the welfare of the bishop, and advocate for the office of the bishop – called the episcopacy.
A chef and an astute businesswoman, Madam Reed operated a catering service that catered for national and international events, as well as for presidential functions.
For example, during the 2005 presidential and general elections in Liberia, I served as Program Officer for International Observation at the Monrovia office of the US-based National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), coordinating media and public affairs, and serving as liaison to various political parties, among others.
As the coordinator of various public events, Sis Pet was someone I could run to at the last minute to assist with high quality catering services for our various events that brought together Liberian and international personalities. A couple of my international friends still talk about how they miss Liberian food so much, especially corn bread, short bread, rice bread, donuts, kalla (called puff puff in other parts of Africa), among others.
In order to create the enabling environment for the first peaceful, free and fair democratic elections in post-war Liberia, NDI and two other US-based international organizations concerned with the promotion of democratic governance around the world opened their respective offices in Monrovia. The others were the International Republican Institute (IRI), and The Carter Center (TCC), established by the now late former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
During the 2005 elections in Liberia, NDI and TCC mounted a joint international observation mission co-led by now late President Carter and former President Neciphone Soglo of Benin, a former Chairman of ECOWAS, who played a critical role in Liberia’s search for peace. In the 2005 elections, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Liberia and Africa’s first democratically elected female president.
It is interesting to note that Sis Pet and the women of the First United Methodist on Ashmun Street, Monrovia, threw their full weight behind Madam Sirleaf, who and her family are very strongly attached to the First United Methodist Church. The contributions of the United Methodist Church women is reflective of how Liberian women were very critical to Madam Sirleaf’s presidential election.
Following the end of my NDI assignment, I returned to the US at the end of 2005. However, within the first six months of the Sirleaf administration in 2006, I headed back to Liberia upon the request of the President to serve in the respective capacities of assistant minister and deputy minister at the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism (MICAT). The new government encountered very serious challenges in dealing with the local media, especially in the wake of the arrest of Mr. Charles Taylor, former warlord turned President of Liberia. Taylor’s arrest resulted in more negative local media reports, even though Madam Sirleaf was a ‘darling’ of the international media as the first democratically elected female president in Africa.
Following my first meeting with Madam President upon return to Monrovia, I hit the ground running with the mandate to improve relationships with the local media so as to focus on disseminating positive government information. Before the end of 2006, the government had made significant gains in reversing the tide of negative information in the local media, so much that Sis Pet and a few of President Sirleaf’s ardent supporters used to call me “Ma Ellen’s Secret Weapon.”
Sis Pet was an unsung heroine – a woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. She was outspoken, frank, and didn’t mince her words. She supported the poor, treated others with love and kindness, and contributed to the wellbeing of the Church for the salvation of souls.
Condolences to the family for the loss of Sis Pet. May her soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God, rest in peace!
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