Gordon V.K. Reid M.D.

Gordon Van Kirk Reid, M.D., of North Haven, husband, father and physician, died suddenly at the age of 72 on April 15, 2008.
Born on Jan. 10, 1936, in Greenwich, N.Y., he was a son of David G. Reid and Margaret Van Kirk Reid. Gordon graduated from Williams College in 1958, and married Betsey Mast in 1959. After receiving his medical degree with AOA honors from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, he continued his training on the ward service at Barnes Hospital of Washington University in St. Louis. He served as USPHS Lieutenant Commander in the Epidemic Intelligence Service of the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Colo., Texas, and was sent to India to do small pox eradication. In 1968, he came to New Haven to finish his training at Yale, becoming board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology and gerontology. In 1970, he joined the practice of Dr. Paul Lavietes in New Haven and shortly they became the founding internists with the ground-breaking Community Health Care Plan (CHCP) where he practiced until it closed in 1999. Not yet interested in retirement, he started Endocrine Associates of Connecticut with Dr. Adam Mayerson. During his whole practice Gordon loved teaching and was an associate professor of clinical medicine at Yale, attending in Internal Medicine and later Endocrinology and continued to serve as preceptor in his office for residents from Yale and St. Raphael Hospitals.
Gordon is survived by Betsey, his wife of 48 years, a daughter, Suzannah V.K. Reid and her husband, Patrick Duffield, of Aspen, Colo., a son, David Mast Reid of Manhattan, a brother, the artist Charles C. Reid, and his wife, Judith, of Green Farms, and brother-in-law Dr. Jeffrey W. Mast and his wife, Laverne, of Reno, Nev. Despite a full medical schedule, he could be seen rowing his scull in New Haven harbor, windsurfing in Nova Scotia, fishing wherever he was, skiing with family, and ballroom dancing with Betsey. Still finding time left over, he enjoyed the Long Wharf Theater, Yale Rep and Yale Cabaret, the New Haven Symphony, the New York City Ballet and nurturing the garden in North Haven.
A memorial service was held April 23, at United Church on the Green in New Haven with the Rev. Scott Morrow of North Haven Congregational Church officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in his memory to the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, Long Wharf Theater or Hospice. The North Haven Funeral Home was entrusted with his arrangements.