Mr. George Reed Jr.

REED, GEORGE JR., 89, of Louisville, left us in peace Nov 26, 2012. Born in Bristol, CT to George Reed, Sr. and Florence Burwell Reed, he was a proud graduate of Weymouth, MA High School and University of Florida, BS Engineering. George served his country as a WWII veteran; enlisting in the US Navy and eventually serving on the carrier escort USS Bismarck Sea CVE95-VC86, and survived its sinking at Iwo Jima on Feb. 21, 1945. It was the last American carrier lost in the war, with 321 men lost that night. His career started in Boston, MA with Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., which transferred him to Louisville in 1958, and continued with Sylvania Electric in Winchester, KY, and Naval Ordnance Station in Louisville. He retired from Brown & Williamson, where he was Manager of Safety for operations in Louisville, Petersburg, VA, and Macon, GA. He served as past president of the Louisville chapter of American Society of Safety Engineers, a board member and volunteer for Animal Care Society, a member of the American Legion Post, and a Kentucky Colonel. He served for 5 years as chairman of Lyndon Recreation, and in that capacity managed the expansion of the original program behind the old Lyndon Elementary School to its present location at A.B. Sawyer Park. A transplanted New Englander, he loved his new Kentucky home. He enjoyed nothing more than spending a day boating on the Ohio River with friends and family. His trips to reunions with his shipmates, the USS Bismarck Sea Survivors, were memorable. It has truly been a sentimental journey. He leaves his wife of 65 years, Jeanne Wood Reed of Chicago, IL, daughter Sally (Gaston) Trotter of Hudson, FL, two sons, David (Regina) and Richard (Becky), both of Louisville, and four granddaughters, Heather, Elise, Beth, and Kate. A celebration of George's life will be held Saturday at Ratterman's, 3711 Lexington Rd. with visitation from 11am until 2 pm followed by a service at the funeral home and burial at Cave Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to The Salvation Army.