Charles “Chuck” Reed died peacefully at his home in Seattle on December 16th, 2025, surrounded by his wife, Ruthie, and his daughters, Sarah (Reed) Callender and Libby Reed. Chuck was eighty-one.
Chuck was born on May 18th, 1944, in Denver, Colorado, where he lived with his parents, Warren and Marjorie (Davis) Reed, and his four siblings. He had a paper route, and later worked alongside his parents in the family business. As the oldest of five, Chuck loved teasing his siblings, riding bikes, playing saxophone, and pal-ing around with his friends. Upon graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1962, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Guam, then served as a medic with the Marine Corps in the Vietnam War. While his experience of war informed his life and convictions, so did the impressionable mark of his family and mentors.
In 1966, Chuck returned to his home state to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, where he majored in Business Administration. As a student, Chuck was determined and directed, but he–no surprise–also had his fair share of fun. It was at CU Boulder that Chuck met Ruthie (Sweetland) on a blind date. They immediately agreed to keep seeing each other and were joyfully married in 1968.
Chuck was a dedicated professional in the world of mortgage banking, holding a variety of senior leadership positions, sitting on boards, and enrolling in graduate-level coursework at Northwestern and Stanford. He led with his values and advocated for accountability and integrity in the banking industry. While Chuck took his work seriously, he also had a creative side: dabbling in pottery and carpentry, and playing piano and guitar.
A dedicated husband and father, Chuck was as generous with his love as he was with his jokes and sense of humor. Despite the regular weekly travel for work, Chuck was a committed father and always made time to tease, teach, and playfully torment his daughters, especially in their teenage years. Supporting their education, their passion for traveling, and their hobbies, Chuck never left Ruthie and his daughters wanting for anything. And then there was the dancing! Many will recall the sight of Chuck doing “the gator” at Sarah and Jeff’s wedding, and waltzing Libby down the aisle to meet her groom, Phil, at their wedding.
And Chuck certainly thrived in retirement. As a voracious reader, a passionate, self-taught investor, a lover of classical music, and a committed bridge player and golfer, Chuck followed his curiosity via books and travel, and, after he and Ruthie moved to Seattle, by taking classes at the University of Washington. He was curious and open to ideas and experiences and showed an abundant capacity for self-reflection and love. Chuck was always up for anything, and his integrity, pragmatism, loyalty, and generosity marked his later years.
As he did with family, Chuck took his friendships seriously, fostering and maintaining a crew of dear and loyal friends from childhood, high school, and college, from his work, and from each place he called home: Denver, Pasadena, Dallas, Orinda, Ann Arbor, and finally, Seattle. These friendships–forged through his education, his professional life, on the golf course, and during bridge games–provided support, camaraderie, and love throughout Chuck’s life.
Chuck’s grandchildren, Will and Anna, have always been the recipients of “Granddad’s” abundant and unconditional love. Through him, they learned how to play golf, diversify their portfolios, play hearts, overload Christmas cookies with sprinkles, and gussy up jarred spaghetti sauce.
For more than two years, Chuck confronted his cancer diagnosis with his typical grace and courage. Most remarkable (though not a surprise to those who knew him), Chuck maintained his sense of humor throughout. He was focused on living fully, and he faced death with the openness and acceptance that he embraced in his life. Chuck's absence in the lives of his family and friends is as profound and impactful as the eighty-one years of generosity, fun, kindness, and humor that he shared.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Ruthie, his siblings–Vicky Willard Reed, Mel Putz, Mike Reed, and Robin Seems; his daughters, Sarah Reed (Jeff) Callender and Libby (Phil Spirito) Reed, and his grandchildren, Will and Anna.
Chuck was born on May 18th, 1944, in Denver, Colorado, where he lived with his parents, Warren and Marjorie (Davis) Reed, and his four siblings. He had a paper route, and later worked alongside his parents in the family business. As the oldest of five, Chuck loved teasing his siblings, riding bikes, playing saxophone, and pal-ing around with his friends. Upon graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1962, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed in Guam, then served as a medic with the Marine Corps in the Vietnam War. While his experience of war informed his life and convictions, so did the impressionable mark of his family and mentors.
In 1966, Chuck returned to his home state to attend the University of Colorado Boulder, where he majored in Business Administration. As a student, Chuck was determined and directed, but he–no surprise–also had his fair share of fun. It was at CU Boulder that Chuck met Ruthie (Sweetland) on a blind date. They immediately agreed to keep seeing each other and were joyfully married in 1968.
Chuck was a dedicated professional in the world of mortgage banking, holding a variety of senior leadership positions, sitting on boards, and enrolling in graduate-level coursework at Northwestern and Stanford. He led with his values and advocated for accountability and integrity in the banking industry. While Chuck took his work seriously, he also had a creative side: dabbling in pottery and carpentry, and playing piano and guitar.
A dedicated husband and father, Chuck was as generous with his love as he was with his jokes and sense of humor. Despite the regular weekly travel for work, Chuck was a committed father and always made time to tease, teach, and playfully torment his daughters, especially in their teenage years. Supporting their education, their passion for traveling, and their hobbies, Chuck never left Ruthie and his daughters wanting for anything. And then there was the dancing! Many will recall the sight of Chuck doing “the gator” at Sarah and Jeff’s wedding, and waltzing Libby down the aisle to meet her groom, Phil, at their wedding.
And Chuck certainly thrived in retirement. As a voracious reader, a passionate, self-taught investor, a lover of classical music, and a committed bridge player and golfer, Chuck followed his curiosity via books and travel, and, after he and Ruthie moved to Seattle, by taking classes at the University of Washington. He was curious and open to ideas and experiences and showed an abundant capacity for self-reflection and love. Chuck was always up for anything, and his integrity, pragmatism, loyalty, and generosity marked his later years.
As he did with family, Chuck took his friendships seriously, fostering and maintaining a crew of dear and loyal friends from childhood, high school, and college, from his work, and from each place he called home: Denver, Pasadena, Dallas, Orinda, Ann Arbor, and finally, Seattle. These friendships–forged through his education, his professional life, on the golf course, and during bridge games–provided support, camaraderie, and love throughout Chuck’s life.
Chuck’s grandchildren, Will and Anna, have always been the recipients of “Granddad’s” abundant and unconditional love. Through him, they learned how to play golf, diversify their portfolios, play hearts, overload Christmas cookies with sprinkles, and gussy up jarred spaghetti sauce.
For more than two years, Chuck confronted his cancer diagnosis with his typical grace and courage. Most remarkable (though not a surprise to those who knew him), Chuck maintained his sense of humor throughout. He was focused on living fully, and he faced death with the openness and acceptance that he embraced in his life. Chuck's absence in the lives of his family and friends is as profound and impactful as the eighty-one years of generosity, fun, kindness, and humor that he shared.
Chuck is survived by his wife, Ruthie, his siblings–Vicky Willard Reed, Mel Putz, Mike Reed, and Robin Seems; his daughters, Sarah Reed (Jeff) Callender and Libby (Phil Spirito) Reed, and his grandchildren, Will and Anna.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles "Chuck" Reed, please visit our flower store.
Charles "Chuck" Reed's Guestbook
Visits: 7
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors