Richard Reed

BREWER - RICHARD E REED, SR BANGOR - Richard (Dick) Reed, 81, of Bangor, ME, passed away January 12, 2023 at Woodlands of Brewer after six plus years of living with dementia. Dad was born in Bangor on June 28, 1941 to Burdett W. and Ida Mae (Plummer) Reed. He graduated from Bangor High School in 1959 while working two jobs: delivering 300+ Bangor Daily newspapers to residents of the Bangor Gardens (without the benefit of a car) and loading trucks for Hood Ice Cream. During this time, Dad met the love of his life, Mary Lou Vague and he "adopted" a handsome black dog which he named "Blackie". The stories they told us of their courtship, Blackie's jealous streak of Mum and of how darned smart the dog was would fill a book! Mum and Dad were married over 60 years at the time of Dad's passing. Dad held many jobs in his lifetime including the BDN, Hood Ice Cream, Sealtest, Betterley & Kent Furniture, Downeast Associates, Nickerson & O'Day, Viner Shoe and EMMC. While in the construction trade, Dad helped build the observation deck at Maine Maritime Academy, the new YWCA, Nason Park Manor, the Bear's Den at UME and Katahdin Hall at EMCC. His longest held job was 17 years at EMMC (Dietary & Housekeeping) from where he retired. Dad is survived by our mother, Mary Lou; daughters, Jolene (Allan) Andrews of Brooksville, ME and Stacie Reed of Bangor, ME, and son, Rick Reed (significant other, Kerri Jenkins) of Veazie, ME; granddaughters, Erin Reed Abbott, Kayla (Kaleb) Forsman, Jess Andrews, and Bree Reed; great-granddaughter, Emersyn Forsman; four siblings, Burdett "Bud" Reed (Rita), June Wyman (Barry), Paul Reed (Bernadette) and Roxanne Shaw (Scott); and many nieces and nephews. Along with his parents, Dad was predeceased by an infant daughter, half-brother, Mickey Plummer and special nephew, Danny Preble. In his early years, Dad enjoyed hunting and fishing, drawing cartoons (especially Dick Tracy and PEANUTS) and painting pictures of landscapes and wildlife. A lifelong sports fan, his favorite teams were the NY Giants, Boston Red Sox, UME Black Bears and the Boston Celtics. Dad was an extremely talented artist, had a soft spot for all animals, was a friend of Bill W. and maintained his sense of humor right up until his last days. The family would like to thank all who helped Dad during his time at Woodlands, especially: Cindy H., Naomi, Deena and Katie; hospice nurses Melissa and Pam. We know there were other wonderful staff there and that dad always took the time to thank anyone who was kind to him! Per his wishes, there will be no funeral or service. If you want to remember Dad, please donate to the Bangor Humane Society, 693 Mt. Hope Avenue, Bangor to celebrate his love for all creatures. Mum would appreciate it if folks shared memories of Dad. Please send letters and cards of remembrance to: Mary Reed, c/o Stillwater Healthcare, 335 Stillwater Ave., Bangor, ME 04401, Rm.1