Wendell Reed

1928 - 2016

WENDELL G. REED
February 12, 1928 – December 11, 2016
Part Two
Previous: Wendell Guilford Reed passed away this past Sunday afternoon at home surrounded by his wife, Norma, his children, and grandchildren. He was 88. Wendell had been President of George Reed, Inc, a California based construction materials and heavy highway contracting firm and Chairman of the Board of Basic Resources, Inc, its parent firm which owns many other construction and construction-related companies including Reed International, 7-11 Materials, and VSS International.
He was born in Stockton on February 12th, 1928 to George and Rose (Zimmerman) Reed and lived for a time in Tracy, CA, before the family moved into his grandmother Bene Zimmerman's house on 14th Street. Both he and his brother went to the old Lincoln School between H and I St. before his parents bought a house and moved to Laurel Street where they had a half acre and raised a garden and had fruit trees. Wendell told the story about one special peach tree with enormous fruit that when they fell with a "thud" he and his brother would race to the backyard and fight over the fruit. The yard was a menagerie of pets with Wendell raising rabbits, chickens, and pigeons. One year he came home with 40 crows. When his mother asked what he was going to do with all of them he said he was going to sell them to all other kids. His mother said "Why would they buy them when they could get their own?" to which he replied "no they can't because I got them all". He later took up taxidermy but when he got to Modesto High School found out the girls liked musicians and not taxidermists.
He started a band called "The Downbeats" in which he played piano with Dick Anderson, drums; Don Bither, string bass; Gordon Tillson, clarinet and sax; Johnny Harding, sax, and breaking the gender barrier, Gloria Ryan also on sax. With a few extras, their first "gig" was a prom at Ceres High School where they got paid $45 and each member got $5. They later played quite a few times at the military hospital where Modesto Junior College West now stands. "they kept bringing us beers but we were too young to drink (at least in public) so we saved them for rehearsal nights. They lasted a long time." Wendell later played with the Johnny Lash Orchestra in Modesto on the weekends while at Berkeley always fueling up at his Dad's fuel tank for the trip home in his 4-door 15-year-old Auburn.
At UC Berkeley, he studied Civil Engineering. One of the advantages was there were no further requirements for a 2nd language, English, or History classes. There were also virtually no girls which was a detriment. "The two we had in class were smart and cute but would have nothing to do with us due to our scruffy appearance."
His older brother, Richard, joined him later after his discharge following WWII to study electrical engineering and they lived at the Campus Inn in Berkeley where room and board were cheap. There is a story about one of them slipping a rat tail into the lasagna one night for dinner which put the cook into a tirade.
He met his future bride at a Newman Dance in Berkeley. Norma was attending Lone Mountain College for Women. It wasn't long before Dad was serious but when he talked about moving to Modesto Norma was not interested as she was still in college. They eventually married and lived in San Francisco while Dad, after graduating from Berkeley worked for the Army Corp of Engineers.  After she finished college they eventually moved to Modesto in 1954 but Norma never forgave Wendell for moving to the hinterlands and always considered San Francisco home.
Wendell joined his father's business George Reed and through his vision and acumen expanded it with acquisition and growth through the 1950 and 1960s. In 1972 they formed Basic Resources, Inc. as the holding company while continuing acquisitions. The current businesses include Reed International, based in Hickman, CA, which has a global business of building and selling construction resurfacing equipment used on over 35 countries worldwide. VSS International works throughout the Western US and in several countries overseas. 7-11 Materials with 11 concrete plants and 4 aggregate plants throughout California supplies ready-mix. And finally, George Reed, Inc., the flagship, based in Modesto since its formation, with its quarries, aggregate plants and construction operations, provides the materials and construction infrastructure that continues to build California into the future. In total, the companies support over 500 families. This is Wendell's testament to the future and his legacy. Wendell once said "Be Decisive. Right or wrong, make a decision. The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn't make a decision."
A visitation is at Franklin and Downs Funeral Home, 1050 McHenry Avenue, Modesto, CA. from 5-7 pm Wednesday December 14th with Rosary thereafter. A Funeral mass will be at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, 1200 Maze Blvd, Modesto, CA. at 10am on Thursday, December 15th with reception following.
In lieu of flowers, remembrance contributions would be appreciated to The Salvation Army, 625 I Street. Modesto, CA 95354. Or Community Hospice Foundation, 5368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95356. 
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