WALTER REID

1925 - 2019

WALTER REID Walter J. Reid was born February 14, 1925, in Norwich, CT to the late Mary E. Kearns and Orlo L. Reid. Mr. Reid attended Newark, Ohio St. Francis High School where he was awarded a full athletic scholarship to college, the first from that school. He was also the first All Ohio player from that school. He played three years of varsity basketball under Coach John Dromo, who became the head coach at University of Louisville. In his four years of college basketball at Eastern Kentucky University he was coached by Paul McBrayer, former University of Kentucky All American player and the assistant coach under Adolf Rupp. During World War II he served in the U.S. Maritime Service after basic training by the U.S. Coast Guard. Walter's duty took him to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean Oceans on both troop ships and cargo ships. After World War II he was offered a scholarship to the University of Kentucky by Adolf Rupp and another by Eastern Kentucky University. He entered EKU in 1946 and lettered all four years and graduated in 1950. The Korean War started and he was drafted into the U.S. Army on September 1, 1950 at Fort Knox, KY. Mr. Reid held seven different ranks in his first 11 months of service in Korea. He received a battlefield commission and left the Army as a 1st Lt. in 1953. Mr. Reid was hired by St. Francis in 1954 as a teacher and athletic director. In basketball his team won four appearances in Ohio's sweet sixteen basketball playoffs, many league titles and top 10 rankings. He started 11-man football, golf, and baseball at that school. In 1967 he accepted a position in the Human Resources Dept. with Rockwell International in Winchester, KY. In 1974 he moved West with his family to work in the Howard Hughes Corp in Las Vegas. After Hughes passed the corporation sold all his casino holdings. Mr. Reid was a Kentucky Colonel, a Kentucky Admiral, past member of the Elks, V.F.W. and American Legion. He was also an instructor for the American Heart Association in Las Vegas. He was also a member of the U.S. Coaches Century Club, the Ohio High School Hall of Fame, has been inducted to his high school Hall of Fame as a player and coach. Walter was the first inductee to this Hall of Fame chronologically. Mr. Walter J. Reid passed away Monday, April 15, 2019, at Flaget Memorial Hospital. Besides his parents he was preceded in death by his first wife, Bonnie Ditter Reid; his second wife, Lois Irene Keith Reid; a son Ryan; a daughter, Rhonda Reid Marshall; two brothers, Robert T. and Lawrence; and two sisters, Verna Skinner and Marie Reese. He is survived by his daughter, Rise' Reid (Tommy) Ballard of Bardstown, KY; two sons, Steven Kearns (Kathy) Reid and Thomas Stewart (LoreLei) Reid both of Reno; along with 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren; along with many cousins and nephews spread across the United States. A non-ceremonial cremation was chosen and there will be no visitation or funeral services. The Houghlin-Greenwell Funeral Home, 1475 New Shepherdsville Road, is in charge of arrangements.