Lewis W. Reed II

Lewis W. Reed II, 80, lost his battle with liver cancer and went to sleep in Jesus on Thursday, June 13, 2024 and is waiting for the resurrection. Ecclesiastes 9:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Lewis was a member of the Urbandale Seventh-day Adventist Church since 1974. John 3:17.
Lewis was born in Lansing, Michigan on January 22, 1944, to Lewis Winfield and Melvy (Irish) Reed. Lewis's first five years of education were at Maple Grove Elementary School. Then the family moved to Haslett, MI, where he attended school at Haslett High School from 5th grade through 11th. He moved to Lansing, MI, completing his senior year and graduated from Everett High School in 1962. Though he didn't graduate with his class at Haslett they treated him as if he had. They invited him to all class reunions and made him feel like he was one of them even to this day. Lewis recently said "It's hard to express how much that has meant to me Viking Strong says Jim Bartow". Thank you!
After high school, Lewis joined the United States Air Force, service 3 years, 8 months and 5 days. Three years were spent at a base near Metz, France. His job was Electrical Power Production at a radar site nearby. While there, he met Annette L. Mallen. Her mother, Louise, was French and her father, Derrick Mallen, was British. Lewis and Annette hit it off and dated for the last 18 months of his tour. When Lewis got back home to Lansing, he got out of the Air Force and got a job driving for UPS at $3.03 an hour, working at UPS for three years in Lansing. Then he and Annette moved to Battle Creek, where he spent the bulk of his life working in Neurodiagnostics at the hospital. His final retirement was January 2016.
As soon as he could, he sent for Annette and they were married on July 16, 1966. They were married for 52 years until death took Annette on July 29, 2018. Annette and Lewis had friends, Tim and Linda Healey, Tim died two weeks after Annette. Linda and Lewis started very slowly to text and infrequent phone calls, which gradually increased for two years. They became good friends and one day in June of 2020, they spent the day together at her son-in-law's birthday party and things seemed to change. They were married December 24, 2020. They believed God brought them together. They just had their third wedding anniversary on December 24, 2023. Lewis always said, "I had some bumps in my road but overall I've been blessed with a good and happy life".
Lewis enjoyed building things, remodeling, demolition, and he LOVED going to the Mackinaw Bridge every chance he had. He loved to hand out bible tracts to anyone who would take one, watching the Dallas Cowboys win 5 Super Bowls, and be a substitute teacher at Battle Creek Academy, which he did for over 10 years. He was willing to sub for K-12 and always had lots of fun with the kids. During his time as a substitute, he developed a heartfelt appreciation for the teachers and staff for the tough job they do and how well they do it!
Lewis was preceded in death by his first wife, Annette L. (Mallen) Reed; parents, and grandparents. He is survived by his second wife, Linda Healey Reed; brother, Delmas (Millie) Reed of Lansing; daughters, Laura VanOrsdal and Rebekah Reed; grandsons, Austin and Jacob Reed of Battle Creek; numerous cousins all over the United States and many good friends, Rod Dunneback of Lansing; Wayne and Sandy Johnson of Battle Creek; Paul and Kim Bessler of Climax; Phil and Phyllis Essex of Battle Creek; and Scott and Tina Burke of Battle Creek.
A celebration of Lewis's life will be Sunday, July 21, 2024 at 11:00am at the Urbandale Seventh Day Adventist Church in Battle Creek, MI.
Lewis requests that any donations be made to Battle Creek Academy.
May God bless all of you!