Orval Leonard Reed

ORVAL LEONARD REED, 88, a long time resident of 225 N. Mississippi in Little Rock, Ark., died Friday, Aug. 26, 2011, following a brief illness. Mr. Reed had recently moved to Presbyterian Village at 500 Brookside Drive in Little Rock, where his beloved wife of 63 years, Tacy Stone Reed, continues to reside. Orval Reed, who's childhood nickname was "Pud," was born on May 10, 1923, in Russellville, Ark., where he spent his childhood and adolescence. He was the oldest son of four children born to Orval Silas Reed and Janie Sarah Heathcoat Reed. When only seven years of age, during the Great Depression, he survived the early childhood trauma of losing his father, a coal miner, in a mining accident. At his father's funeral, two well-meaning but misguided adults pressed upon him that because he was the oldest son he would now be the "man of the house" and consequently responsible for his mother and siblings. His small boy's heart took these words in literally and from that day on, for the remainder of his youth, he was never without at least two jobs to help support his family. This experience formed the basis of a very strong work ethic which continued in him throughout his entire lifetime. Following his May 1942 graduation from Russellville High School, Mr. Reed immediately answered the call of duty from his beloved country, which was engaged in World War II, and enlisted in the United States Navy, where he honorably served aboard ships in the Pacific campaign for the next four years of his life. When the war ended, Mr. Reed moved to Little Rock to attend a local business college and supported himself at the same time by becoming an insulator. After some time, he decided to end his college career and invested fully in the insulation business. He became a member of Organized Professional Insulators and Local 10 shortly thereafter. He perfected his knowledge of this business and rose quickly to leadership positions in the field. Ultimately, in 1982, Mr. Reed embarked on running his own insulation abatement company, by becoming the president of the Arkansas branch of the J.Graves Insulation Company where he successfully served until his retirement in 1993. It was during his early years in Little Rock that Mr. Reed met the love of his life, Tacy, who was a registered nurse attending his mother who was in the hospital following minor surgery. The two began dating and soon fell in love resulting in their Feb. 18, 1948 marriage. The young couple made their home in Little Rock and spent the next 20 years raising their two daughters who ultimately presented them with five grandsons. Following his 1993 retirement, Mr. Reed busied himself with many interests. At one point he became very involved in learning his genealogy and was fascinated and pleased to discover his family's strong American pioneer roots. His third great-grandfather, Johannes Rieth, who anglicized his name to John Reed, was a Hessian soldier who deserted in the American Revolution and settled in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, where he later developed the Reed Gold Mine, which is where gold was first discovered in North America in 1799. He made a special trip to see the gold mine for himself in 1999 where the state of North Carolina has preserved it as an historic site. In addition to his interest in genealogy, Mr. Reed was an avid quail hunter, and engaged in breeding and training successful birddogs for other hunters during the 1960s. He also enjoyed fishing and spent many happy times with his wife, friends and family in his boat fishing on the Arkansas River. In the last 15 years of his life he took great pride in the vegetable garden he created in his backyard and thoroughly enjoyed eating and sharing his own produce. Throughout his life, he took his greatest pleasure in sharing these interests with his daughters, grandsons, nephews, friends and neighbors. Mr. Reed was a giving and loving man. Mr. Reed, a man of strong faith, was a long time member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock, having joined the membership in the 1950s. Until his health began to fail him in the last year, he was an active member who enjoyed attending the early Sunday service with his wife and sitting amongst their "pew buddies." Mr. Reed was preceded in death by his one brother, Milton "Mickey" Reed of Mayflower, Ark., in 2006. Along with his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Vicki Reed Hall (Buddy), of Little Rock, Deborah Goldie Hess (Jack), of North Canton, Ohio, five grandsons, Robert Goldie (Nancy), of Kinmans, Ohio, Michael Goldie (Krista), of Canton, Ohio, John Moody of Little Rock, Reed Moody of Washington, D.C., and Lawson Moody, of Little Rock. Also surviving are two sisters, Marcella Mitchell of Los Angeles, Calif., and Barbara Melton of Little Rock, two nephews, Mike Reed of Little Rock, and David Mitchell of Los Angeles, Calif., three nieces, Marla Roberts of Houston, Texas, Gail Anderson (Dwight) and Lisa Adams, both of Little Rock. In addition, he leaves behind six great-granddaughters, Celeste, Samantha, Honorae, Olivia, Alyssa, and Anna, and two great-grandsons, Kobe and Tate. The family wishes to acknowledge the wonderful staff at Hospice Home Care for their gentle professionalism and for lovingly embracing our whole family as though we were their own during the last days of our loved one. You made his passing from this world to the next an easier transition for him and for all of us as well, and it is with heartfelt gratitude that we thank you. Mr. Reed will be laid to rest in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens following a 2 p.m. funeral service on Tuesday, Aug. 30, to be held at Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday evening at Griffin Leggett Funeral Home on 12th Street in Little Rock. Online guestbook: www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com.