by 1932, rees was in ill health, and could often not venture beyond the parlor of his pasadena home to receive visitors. rees died at home, in the presence of his son, the pastor paul s. rees, in the early morning hours of may 22, 1933, whispering the words "i'm almost home" and "pass[ing] from peace to greater peace" "[j]ust as the day was beginning to break cloudlessly over the mountains of which he was so untiringly fond." rees' funeral took place two days later in a packed auditorium at pilgrim tabernacle in pasadena.