He was loved by family and admired by any who knew him. He was a true leader. He had many talents and hobbies. Ed participated in the arts as a woodworker, created ceramic items for displays, had a lapidary shop to make jewelry, and an area to paint watercolors. Ed loved to design the landscaping of their yards with the help of his partner Patta. They won yard of the week three different times in Gunnison Colorado. He also enjoyed fishing and camping after retirement. He docked his boat at Blue Mesa reservoir. He was a master at cleaning and filleting fish and gave a lesson to anyone watching that wanted to learn. Construction work was a hobby of Ed's as he remodeled all their homes and did projects for friends. He had every tool there was, if he needed it or not. His most unique hobby was a desire to raise pygmy goats. This came from his childhood memories of living on the farm.
As World War II erupted many young men answered the call to the fight for our country. Ed volunteered when he was 16 years old. He was 82nd Airborne and parachuted in on D Day Plus three as part of the Normandy invasion. He was wounded twice. He was reported as MIA. His mother had to get his diploma for him not knowing if he was alive. He was later found in a French hospital severely wounded. He was sent home in a body cast. Upon return he began his healing process. He put away his memories of the war, and built a long, happy, successful life with no mention of the war until many years later. The only thing he wanted known about the war is that he came home. People called him a hero. He always said “I am not a hero, the men over there that never came home are the heroes”. He is our hero.
As a young solider when he returned home his father took him for a ride to enroll in college at Southwestern University in Weatherford, Oklahoma He became a very active and popular college student. Working hard, he was anxious to get his degree and move out into the world to establish his future. Along this journey he spotted a young co-ed that caught his eye. This began the love and marriage of 73 years to Patta Leigh Blair Reed.
His previous injuries received during his deployment meant more surgeries for Ed. The timing meant once again that he could not walk to get his diploma, so his wife got it for him. The call of the world encouraged Ed and Patta to go to Kansas as school teachers. This meant more school work for the Reed's as they completed their master’s degree at OSU in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Again, the hospital called and he was unable to walk for his master’s degree which was mailed to him. His youngest granddaughter Destinee Reed was about to graduate high school. Central High School heard about a veteran who qualified for three diplomas but had never walked so they honored him with a diploma. He finally got to walk for his diploma, along with his granddaughter. Education became the life of the Reed's as Ed became a teacher then an Elementary school principal in Kansas and Colorado.
Ed was born to Senator Ed Milton Reed Sr. and Mary Etta Warren Reed. He had six sisters, Ono, Olla, Pearl, Jewell, Fay and Florence. All his sisters were married and had families of their own. His nieces and nephews called him Uncle Ed. He felt like he had more mothers than sisters. Ed's family grew as well. He had two sons. His first is Ed Milton Reed III. His children are Justin and wife Ashley, Kristen and husband David, and Destinee. His other son Jeffery Lynn Reed is married to Debbie Reed. His children are Tiffany and husband Chris, and Josh. Going from good to better to best came the great grandchildren, Addison, Noah, Tessa, Brynne, Declan and Vivian. Ed leaves many friends and memories as he enters his eternal home.
There will be a military honors service on Friday, February 4, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado, 2830 Riverside Parkway, Grand Junction, CO 81501.
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