Wesley Oliver Reed passed away peacefully at the age of 97 at his home in Port Hadlock on September 25, 2024.
Wesley was born on December 16, 1926, in Pueblo, Colorado and spent his early years in Arizona. He served in the Navy and then graduated from Oregon State University. Wesley started his career in aerospace working for GE in Pennsylvania and then with Ford Philco in California. He married Gail Ericson in 1953 and had 4 children, Ronald, Kimberly, Alan and Douglas.
In 1966 Wesley and Gail brought their family to Port Hadlock, where Wes began to manage the grocery store that his father Myron Reed had established in 1960 after purchasing from Izetta Newman. Wesley oversaw the expansion of what would become known as “Reed’s Super Value”. He owned and operated the store for many years with Gail working alongside him, until the sale of the business to QFC in 1997.
After 38 years of marriage Gail sadly passed away in 1991. Welsey was remarried in 1995 to Mary Dinah Griffith who died in 2012.
Wesley is survived by 3 children, Ronald Reed of Irondale, Kimberly Morgan of Port Hadlock and Douglas Reed of Bremerton; 7 grandchildren, Marissa Ward, Courtney Reed, Kyle Reed, Adam Reed, Alex Hankle, Kinsey Reed and Dylan Reed; and 6 great-grandchildren, Morgan and Owen Ward, Oliver, Lilly and Tucker Reed and Juniper Hankle.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Elks Lodge, 555 Otto Str., Port Townsend, WA on October 26, 2024, from 2 to 4 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Hospice Foundation for Jefferson Healthcare or a charity of your choice.
Family and friends are invited to share memories of Wesley and sign the online guestbook at www.bradley-kosec.com.
