REED, RICHARD

REED, Richard William

Richard William Reed, known to family and friends as Dick, was born on June 16, 1924, in Lancaster, Ohio, to Ralph C. and Mary Alten Reed. Dick grew up in Lancaster, attended a one room schoolhouse named Snake Hollow for grades 1-8 and graduated from Lancaster High School in 1942. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps later that year and proudly served his country during World War II. Dick was a tail gunner on a TBF Avenger torpedo plane, flying off of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Gloucester and engaging in combat skirmishes against the Japanese Empire. His aircraft carrier was stationed off the coast of Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was honorably discharged after the war ended and returned to Lancaster to wed his high school sweetheart, Esther Plinke. Together they reared two children, Cindy and David. Dick worked as a machinist most of his life, owning his own shop for a number of years. He was active in local government and elected as a Councilman-at-large for three terms. Dick taught for several years at Ohio University Lancaster in the Manufacturing Technology program, passing along decades of experience to his students. In the mid-1980's, he and Esther moved to Hamilton, Ohio, to be closer to their daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Ernie Pendergrass. Dick continued to work as a machinist until his eye sight began to fail. He was an outdoorsman who played golf most of his life and sunk two holes-in-one along the way. With Ernie's assistance, Dick played his final round on his 92nd birthday. He and Esther were active at North Fairfield Baptist Church, where Dick was ordained a deacon. They were married for 62 years when Esther passed. Over a period of several years, he went to the Blind Rehabilitation Center in Hines, Illinois, to learn strategies to cope with advanced macular degeneration, to a VA Tee Tournament to play golf in Iowa City, Iowa, and on an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. to visit the World War II Memorial. At the age of 96, Dick passed peacefully into the arms of his Savior Jesus Christ on January 11, 2021. He's now reunited with beloved wife Esther and their son, David, who also predeceased him. Dick's older siblings, sister Mary Catherine Smith, brother Ralph Corbett Reed, Jr., and his nephew and namesake, Richard Corbett Reed, passed on before him as well. He is survived by his daughter Cindy and her husband Ernie, whom Dick considered his son, nephew Jim (Portia) Reed, niece Pam (Jeff) Whittington, great and great-great-nieces and nephews, dear friends, and his honorary second daughter, Linda Profitt. We deeply appreciate the tender and compassionate care that Dick received over the past seven months by the second-floor nurses and staff of Ohio Living Mount Pleasant in Monroe, Ohio. We extend our sincere thanks to Ohio's Hospice, whose nurses provided crisis care services for him 24 hours a day during the last week of his life. At Rose Hill Funeral Home, 2565 Princeton Rd., Hamilton, Ohio, 45011, visitation will take place on Tuesday, January 19, 2021, from 1:00 PM until time of funeral service at 2:00 PM. All COVID-19 protocols will be respected and observed. Facial coverings must be worn at all times, social distances observed and maximum numbers in attendance respected. Dick will be laid to rest immediately following the service, at Rose Hill Burial Park, with prayers at the graveside and military honors. Pastor Tom Pendergrass of Urbancrest Baptist Church in Lebanon, Ohio, will officiate. Sympathy may be expressed by a memorial contribution to one of the following; Honor Flight Tri-State, 8627 Calumet Way, Cincinnati, OH, 45249, Macular Degeneration Research, 22512 Gateway Center Dr., Clarksburg, MO, 20871 or Ohio's Hospice, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH, 45420. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him." James 1:12. Condolences may be left at www.rosehillfunerals.com.

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