June 21, 1945 – October 17, 2020
BELLEVUE – James (Jay) Luther Reed, 75, died Oct. 17, 2020 in Bellevue, TX at home.
A celebration of life will take place at 10 a.m. on Oct. 24 at Bellevue First Baptist Church with Pastor Howard Walker, Henrietta and Robert Slayton, Bellevue officiating. Reed will be cremated and ashes placed in the Bellevue Cemetery alongside his inlaws, Dick and Asalene Lovelady. Colm Murphy will give the Army Corps salutation at the Bellevue Cemetery after the celebration of life.
Reed was born June 21, 1945 in Kaiser, AK. He was the fourth son of Vernie and Mary Rose (Dunkin) Reed. Living his young life up and down the Mississippi River area of Arkansas and southern part of Missouri, he ended up at Wilson High School in Wilson, AK. There he held the fastest record of running in Wilson track and field events for many years.
He entered the army for the Korean War and spent four hitches. He did basic training in Fort Polk, LA and spent time at Fort Sill, OK. He was a first lieutenant in field artillery, a marksman, as well as a forward observer who was exposed to Agent Orange in Korea.
He drove 18-wheelers after his service in the army and also became a pilot. These were his passion. He was an avid domino and checker player, loving the challenges. He married Carolyn Sue Lovelady Lawrence in 1990. They met in 1980 while Sue was waitressing and again in 1988. They married on Feb. 25, 1990 in Bellevue. James had to quit trucking because of regulation for heart attack drivers and got a job at the Bellevue city water department, which he loved because he was able to meet the citizens.
Jay was raised in the Church of Christ, but for the last 10-15 years he attended the First Baptist Church of Bellevue. He was a Christian and one day his family will see him again. When his cancer became worse and he was forced to stay at home. He loved anything to do with the army. His favorite television show was “MASH” and his favorite movie was “Air America.” He loved flying with his wife, kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a master at whatever he set his mind.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Vernie and Mary Rose (Dunkin) Reed; brothers, James Reed and wife Bernice, and Luther Reed and wife Louise; brother-in-law, Ronald Earl Gray and sister-in-law Myra (Blaylock) Reed and nephews, James Jr. Reed, Bo Reed, Ronald Gray, Jr., and Vernie Curtis Reed.
He is survived by his wife of almost 32 years, Sue Reed; children, James Lawrence and Stephanie Lawrence Bonds (Mike); grandchildren, Aleshia Lawrence Dellinges (Brandon), Cole Lawrence, Gabriel Garza and Will Bonds; great-grandchildren, Ella and Landry Dellinges and Emalea Jo (Lawrence/Harris); sister, Sarah Reed Gray, son and three grandchildren; sister LouVern Reed Baker and husband Verlin Baker and their children and grandchildren; brother, Vernie Jr. Reed and his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren; brother, Cecil Reed (Linda Jesse), children and great-grandchildren; nieces, Sequoia Henson (Ray), children and great-grandchildren; wife of nephew Curtis, Donna and their children and great-grandchildren; nephew Jerry Wayne Reed (Gail) and their children and great-grandchildren.
Thank you to granddaughter Aleshia for all her loving care of PawPaw. She’s his girl. She is so remarkable. Thank you to Murphey and the other VA people. Murphey has been so wonderful. Thank you to the Solaris girls June and Nicki, and nurses Amber and Ashton.
Jay will always be loved and missed. Any contributions in his honor can be made to cancer research. Cancer is a vicious killer and can strike the young, as well as older victims.
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