James H. REED III

REED III, James H.Noted business and civic leader, died at home on Tuesday, April 20, 2010. Mr. Reed was chairman and former president of Jim Reed Chevrolet Co. A Nashville native, born May 7, 1919, he was the son of James H. Reed, Jr. and Marie Temple Reed. Mr. Reed received his early education at Wallace University School. He graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 1941 with a BA degree in economics. He maintained a strong relationship with Vanderbilt throughout his life, and served as class chairman of alumni fundraising for several years. While attending Vanderbilt, he was president of SAE fraternity and the Pan-Hellenic Council, and earned letters in boxing and golf. He served during World War II as a first lieutenant in the Air Force. Following his discharge in 1946, he was employed by Jim Reed Chevrolet, which was founded by his father in 1930. At his father's retirement in 1959, Mr. Reed was named president and general manger of the company. During the ensuing years of his leadership, Jim Reed Chevrolet continued to grow and expand. He was proud of the fact that the company has many second-generation customers, as well as second-generation employees - twenty-five of whom have been with Jim Reed Chevrolet for more than twenty years. He was particularly honored that two of his sons, James H. Reed IV and John Clay Reed, chose to join him in the family business. He was a winner of TIME Magazine's prestigious Quality Dealer Award (TMQDA). This award, presented annually in recognition of exceptional dealership performance and distinguished community service, was given to Mr. Reed in 1967. He served as a member of General Motors Presidents Advisory Council and was the first dealer in the United States to receive the Chevrolet Service Supremacy Award. He was regional vice president of the Tennessee Automotive Association, and president of the Nashville Automobile Dealers Association, which presented him a special "Legends" award for lifetime contribution to fellow dealers. Throughout his long career, he was active in civic and charitable activities, serving at various times as a board member of Big Brothers, the YMCA, Family and Children's Services, the Nashville Davidson County Chapter of the American Red Cross and the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. Mr. Reed was a lifetime supporter of the United Way, and was a member of the Cockrill Chapter. His company received several Pacesetter Awards from the United Way Fund as the top automobile dealer supporter in Nashville. He was a past vice president of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, president of the Downtown Kiwanis Club, and also served as president and board member of Belle Meade Country Club. Mr. Reed was a devoted member of West End United Methodist Church, which he regularly attended since infancy, and served that congregation as a Sunday School teacher and board chairman. One of Mr. Reed's pleasures in later life was propagating Bur Oak trees. Each fall, he gathered and potted acorns, and nursed them into small seedlings. When a friend had a new baby in the family or another special occasion, Mr. Reed would plant a tiny oak in their yard to commemorate the event. Over the years, these small trees have become mighty oaks, sprinkled around the city. One stands along the entrance wall at Centennial Park. He is preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Celeste Casey Reed. He is survived by their five children, James H. Reed IV and partner, Jackson Arnold; W. Casey Reed and his wife, Dr. Stephanie Mouton Reed; Celeste M. Reed and her husband, Don Welch; John Clay Reed, all of Nashville; and McGavock D. Reed and his wife, Mary Ann of Washington, DC; and four grandsons, Tracy D. Burnham, McGavock D. Reed, Daniel C. Reed and William Jackson Reed and five granddaughters, Whitney Reed Harrison, Celeste Casey Harrison, Anne Walker Harrison, Rachel Elizabeth Reed and Catherine Grace Reed. Visitation with the family will be held on Wednesday, April 21, 2010 from 5-7 p.m., at West End United Methodist Church, and an hour before the service on April 22, 2010. Funeral services will be conducted at the church on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 2 p.m. Interment will be in the Reed Mausoleum at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. His family is grateful for the many gestures of kindness he received, especially in his later years. They believe that these are the most fitting tributes to his life and his legacy of good citizenship. In lieu of memorials, please extend an act of kindness to someone in need. MARSHALL DONNELLY COMBS, (615) 327-1111.