Eugene Reed

Gene Reed, age 75 of Fort Collins, Colorado, died August 22, 2010 at his home due to lung cancer. His wish was to be cremated and returned to his beloved Louisiana. A vigil service and recitation of the rosary will be held at 7:00 pm Tuesday, August 24th with Mass of the Resurrection to be held at 10:00 AM Wednesday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 300 West Mountain Ave., Fort Collins. Eugene Jean Reed was born December 11, 1934 in Westlake, Louisiana to Lindsey and Edith Reed. He joined the Marine Corps during his senior year of high school and served in an artillery unit in Korea. Gene met the love of his life in Hollywood. They were married August 11, 1956 at St. Dominic's Catholic Church in Eagle Rock, CA. He spent 35 years working as a heavy equipment operator for the Los Angeles County Road Department, and upon retirement in 1990, he and Kay moved, that day, to Ft. Collins. When Gene came to Ft. Collins, he immediately got busy volunteering and working part time jobs. He volunteered delivering meals for Chuck Wagon, which eventually became Volunteers Of America. He delivered meals and visited those recipients for many years. He worked part-time for Saddle Up Liquor Store; Ron Augustine's Machine Shop; Kehn Construction; and 3J Inc. Retirement did not mean sitting still for Gene. He enjoyed fishing; visiting friends; wood working; golfing; and telling jokes. Gene loved to make people laugh. Gene devoted a lot of his time to St. Joseph Parish and the Knights Of Columbus. He was a 4th degree member of the K of C. He was most proud of his family and his Cajun heritage. He considered himself a "coona.." through and through. Gene, or EJ, by which he is also known, is survived by his wife of 54 years, Kay; three children, Michael (and wife, Marilyn) Reed of Moss Bluff, La; Skeeter (and wife, Toni Anne) of Westlake, La; and Susan Reed (and partner, Nicole Hay) of Brush, CO; three grandchildren, Deanna (and Robert) DeMarco of Lake Dallas, TX, Vincent Reed of Westlake, La, and Michael Reed of Lake Charles, La; One great grandchild, Christina Hope DeMarco; a brother, Edward (and Brenda) Reed of Gillis, La; and a sister, Abbie LeJuene of Lake Charles, La. His best buddy Fritz and numerous neices and nephews. He was preceded in death by six siblings, Gilford Crater, Dudley Crater, Ernest Cradure, Joyce Desormeaux, Audrey Fontenot and Della May Marcantel. His family would like to offer a special thank you to Front Range Cancer Specialists and Pathways Hospice for their special care during Gene's illness. His family requests that any memorial donations please be made to Pathways Hospice and American Cancer Society.