RON REED
October 6, 2016
Ron Reed was born July 18, 1943, in Orofino, to Erma Marie Smith-Reed and James Robert Reed while they lived in Weippe at the time. With the death of his father in 1945, his mother moved the family to Lewiston.
Ron lived in Lewiston all his life except for a four-year tour in the U.S. Navy, where he was a petty officer third class and served as a Spec. 4 in the Idaho National Guard.
In 1963, he met his soulmate, Carol A. Carpenter, at his sister’s wedding to her brother. After his discharge in 1964, they were married. Ron and Carol were married 51 years.
He loved the combat arts. He trained in judo and boxing in Honolulu in the early 1960s. He spent his entire life training and teaching karate and kung-fu. As he put it, anything that hurts. He was a black belt in three karate systems – kung-fu, goju shorie weapons and judo. He was a grandmaster 10th-degree black belt (KyoShi). He won several hundred awards in Idaho, Washington, Nevada and Oregon state titles, and in 1990 he won the Northwest Senior Black Belt title.
He worked for the Lewiston Post Office from 1967-2000, when he retired. After retirement, he was a deputy coroner, a job he didn’t miss after a year. He volunteered for the Community Action Food Bank for eight years, and filled in as a relief guard for Homeland Security for seven years at the Lewiston and Walla Walla Social Security offices. He was elected to the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District Board of Directors, serving one term.
He enjoyed tormenting his two cats, Tilly and Milly, as well as sitting at the Lewiston Starbucks drinking coffee and BS-ing with his friends. His wife and youngest granddaughter often accompanied him. In the summer he always grew a large garden that he shared with his many friends. He always said “If you can’t eat it, why grow it?”
He also enjoyed going to Strike and Spare with his wife and youngest granddaughter. He loved how Lynsee was his own personal driver when she came to visit him. Ron and Kaelee loved to go to the shooting range and sit in Starbucks reminiscing on the good ol’ days. Lynsee and Kaelee both love their grandfather so much and will always remember him sitting in his recliner in his Crocs and yellow shirt with a big smile and toothpick hanging out of his mouth.
He loved and adored his wife and two gorgeous granddaughters, Kaelee and Lynsee Reed, and grandson Aiden. He was very proud of his two sons, Lee, who is a police officer, and Wes, a nurse.
He spent many years at his house and acreage out on Powers Avenue. His life was full and happy and he has no regrets about anything. Life was good.
Graveside services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountain View Funeral Home in Lewiston. There will be an informal gathering at the Reeds’ Lewiston Karate School, 2110 Powers Ave., Lewiston.