Steve Reid

Steve Reid passed away on September 18, 2019 from complications of cancer. He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Marolyn Pimentel Reid. Survivors include Steve's sister, Ellen Overman; his children, Crag Seyb and Ronald (Grace Burton) Seyb; his brother- and sister-in-law, John Pimentel and Lila Mora; his brother-in-law, William Davis; and his nephews and niece, William (Constance) Davis, Jr. Thomas (Judy) Davis, John Michael Davis, and Mary Beth (Edward) Stephens. Steve was born in Chicago, where he resided until his mother moved him to California in order to take advantage of the dry climate to address her health struggles. Steve attended Santa Monica High School, where he excelled as an athlete, compiling his most impressive accomplishments as a catcher on the "SanMo" baseball team. Steve was recruited by Arizona State to play baseball, but, because of a communications snafu, enlisted in the Army before ASU tendered him a scholarship offer. Steve was a member of the 101st Airborne, earning his Ranger tab early in his hitch. While he never saw combat, he did spend a few days in an airplane hangar in Kentucky in October 1963, waiting for the order to parachute into Cuba to lead the assault on that island if the "Missiles of October" could not be removed through diplomacy. Steve played baseball in the service, and, when he completed his tour, he played in both the Cardinals' and the Tigers' organizations. He decided to give up the game when he learned that the Tigers had signed a young catcher named Bill Freehan. Steve was always a sharp judge of baseball talent. He hence knew right away that, as he put it, "his stubby legs" were not going to allow him to out-perform a future All Star Steve became a construction plumber, eventually becoming a detailer. He helped to build the J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu, assisted in the renovation of the UCLA Medical Center, and designed the plumbing system of the largest cheese factory in the world at the time. In mid-career, Steve was elected to serve as the business agent for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 545. He was a tireless, fierce, and effective advocate for his members, a leader who always treated all of his fellow working men and women with respect and affection. Steve's most important accomplishment, however, occurred off the field and the job site: he married Marolyn Pimentel in 1975 and thus became the father of two active boys, Craig and Ron. He loved Marolyn profoundly, and he slipped into fatherhood as easily as he had slipped into his shin guards. He coached the boys in baseball, dispensed wisdom to them in generous amounts, allowed them to read any book in his extensive librarymany of them unsuitable for young readers, but Steve, the arch autodidact, knew that you could not encourage kids to read by shoving Dickens down their gulletsand always let them know that they were his cherished sons. Steve embraced everyone he met with undisguised brio and unmitigated acceptance. While he never hesitated to let his interlocutors know if he disagreed with them, he also never spurned anyone because of a difference of opinion. He loved strongly, steadfastly, and ecumenically. A memorial service to honor Steve will take place on Saturday, November 2 at 11:00 AM at Via Verde Country Club, 1400 Avenida Entrada, San Dimas, CA In lieu of flowers, contributions should be made either to Jobs with Justice at https://www.jwj.orgor or Plumbers without Borders at https://www.plumberswithoutborders.org