Patrick REID

REID, Patrick
November 14, 1924 – December 5, 2015
After 91 incredible years of love and service to his family and countries, Patrick passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 5, 2015 surrounded by his beloved wife, Alison, and his children, Amanda and Mike. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Alison; his daughter, Amanda (Rick Hansen); his son, Mike; and his grandchildren Emma (Aaron VandenBrink), Alana, Rebecca, Carter, and Mason. Patrick was predeceased by his parents William and Kathleen; his sister Muriel (Geoff Froude); and his cherished great-grandson Reid.
Patrick Reid was born in Ireland and raised on a horse farm in Co. Donegal. He entered the Law Faculty of Queen's University, Belfast, when he was 15, enlisted the following year in the British Army, graduated from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in 1944 as the top cadet with the Belt of Honour, joined the North Irish Horse in Italy, and by early 1945 had been wounded twice, escaped capture, and awarded the Military Cross. His regiment became the tank support for the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division, which included Vancouver's Seaforth Highlanders. His unit received the maple leaf emblem as a badge of honour and, until his passing, was the only person in this country entitled to that personal recognition.
He was involved in the reoccupation of Malaya and commanded the provost company responsible for the policing of post-war Singapore. By 1946, he was acting as Provost Marshal of Malaya and became the youngest Major in the British Army at the age of 21. After service as Adjutant of the 14th/20th King's Hussars in Britain, he was a NATO staff officer at Allied Headquarters Northern Europe in Oslo.
From 1948-1954 he served in or visited some fifty countries on a variety of assignments and both boxed and played rugby for the Army. In 1954 he studied at the Canadian Army Staff College in Kingston, Ontario and decided to resign from the British Army and return to Canada as an immigrant. He was first a labourer and then a director and actor in the first television commercials made in the country. He moved west to Vancouver in 1956 to join O'Brien Advertising. He married Alison in 1958 in Vancouver, where their two children, Amanda and Michael, were born. He also served as militia Squadron Leader in the British Columbia Regiment.
In 1962, he left Vancouver for Ottawa. This was the start of a public service career, which covered virtually every facet of the promotion of Canada abroad and included his direct involvement in such momentous events at home as the Canadian Centennial, Expo 67, and the creation of Canada's flag.
Patrick was responsible for Canada's involvement in world expositions and international fairs for nearly two decades and he served as Canada's Commissioner General at numerous world expositions. He was Chairman of the College of Commissioners General, representing all the foreign participants at Osaka and Spokane.
In 1978, he was posted to London, England, as the Minister in charge of Canada House. He was elected President of the Paris based International Bureau of Expositions the same year, the first non-European to hold the position, and the first international official ever to be jointly nominated by the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R.
At the request of the Canadian Government, he returned to Vancouver to plan the 1986 World Exposition. He served for five years as Ambassador and Commissioner General of Expo 86, where he had overall responsibility for the exposition.
Expo 86 had involvement from all corners of the globe-54 international participants. This response from the world community represented the largest number of nations ever to participate in a specialized world exposition. At its conclusion, he was posted to San Francisco as Consul General of Canada, after which he returned to Vancouver in 1988.
He was elected Chairman of the Board of Airshow Canada, Globe '90, the Rick Hansen Man In Motion Society, Foundation, and Institute, the Vancouver Port Corporation, the Vancouver Stock Exchange, and the Fraser Basin Council. He served on numerous other boards over the course of his lifetime and his most recently held position was Honourary Colonel of the BC Regiment.
Patrick Reid is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He also holds the Military Cross, the Canadian Forces Decoration, and the Centennial, Confederation and Jubilee Medals. Foreign decorations include the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of Peru, the Order of the Chrysanthemum, and the Order of the Rising Sun of Japan.
His memoir, Wild Colonial Boy, was published in 1995. He also co-authored a major revision of the international reference work, Great Exhibitions, in 2001.
Beyond his many accomplishments and recognitions, Patrick was proud of his Irish roots, a passionate Canadian committed to the betterment of his country and its citizens, and a devoted family man. Patrick always had a twinkle in his eye, a large dose of Irish charm, an eloquent turn of phrase, and a wicked sense of humour. The world is a better place for his time here. A kind and gentle giant-he will be missed but not forgotten.
"If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings-nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And-which is more-you'll be a Man, my son!"
- Rudyard Kipling
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Rick Hansen Foundation or charity of choice.