Charles Larus Reed Jr.

1932 - 2022

REED, Charles Larus, Jr., 90, of Richmond, Va., passed peacefully at home on December 22, 2022, surrounded by family. Charlie was born in Richmond on July 16, 1932, to Charles Larus Reed and Edythe Robertson Reed. He was preceded in death by his sister, Edythe Reed Funsten. He is survived by his loving wife, Ann Reeves Reed; daughter, Virginia McKenzie Reed van Meel (Kees van Meel) of Old Greenwich, Conn.; and his sons, Charles Larus Reed III (Sarah Anne Stark Reed) of Richmond and John Mercer Reeves Reed (Maria Manos Reed) of Richmond; his sister, Jane Reed Fields; his grandchildren, Madison and Mercer van Meel, Larus and Robertson Reed, Laney, Mercer and Annie Reed; and many beloved nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends.

Charlie grew up in Ginter Park and attended Collegiate School, St. Christopher's, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High. He attended Hampden-Sydney and in 1955, graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in Finance and as a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. After college, he moved to New York City, where he worked as an investment banker with A.G. Becker & Co. He also served as a Director of Reeves Brothers, Inc.

Charlie and Ann met on a blind date to play bridge in Buck Hill Falls, Pa. They married there in 1962 and recently celebrated 60 wonderful years together. Ann and Charlie did everything together as a team. They lived in Manhattan briefly and moved to Summit, New Jersey, Ann's hometown. There, they purchased a Reeves family home called The Clearing, where they enjoyed raising their family. Charlie bought ponies and a cart and proudly rode his family around the neighborhood. Known for his antics, Charlie brought one of the ponies into the house for fun on Ann's birthday. Upon retiring in 1972, they moved to his hometown of Richmond, but not before they worked with the community to preserve the special place now known as The Reeves-Reed Arboretum.

After returning to Richmond, Charlie was instrumental in his leadership efforts with Historic Richmond to safeguard the historic 200-block of West Franklin Street, among many other significant properties.

In the late 70s, they purchased a Reed family home and restored and beautified the property and gardens. Charlie loved Redesdale and was a true gentleman farmer. He loved animals and the outdoors and was an avid gardener. He grew vegetables and beautiful flowers, becoming noted for his grand delphiniums. He took pride in being hands-on by planting, propagating, mowing and even building a barn all in khakis and button-downs with his friend, Norman. He shared the property with friends and strangers alike, and offered it for many charitable events.

Charlie's many interests included traveling, biking, skiing and dancing. Charlie and Ann loved traveling the world. He always took the road less traveled. On organized trips, he was known to suddenly abandon the guide and others would follow so as not to miss out on his sidebar adventures. The same applied for biking, which led him on many self-guided group trips across the globe with his friends and sons who traveled with him by the seats of their padded pants enjoying unique sights and experiences with locals. His skiing adventures required more planning but were just as spontaneous. He was a charming, spirited dancer and was often the first and last on the dance floor.

Charlie's passions were far reaching. He always loved the country candy store that he frequented as a boy, and he vowed to do something special with it one day. He co-created, restored and operated The English Garden, a dining and retail spot surrounded by beautiful gardens, which quickly became an oasis in the far West End.

He had a wonderful personality with a fantastic laugh, smile and sense of humor. He gave so much of himself to his philanthropies, jobs, hobbies and relationships. He was a humble Christian who expressed his faith in the way he treated others with decency and respect and through his random acts of kindness. He was a devoted member of First Presbyterian Church.

He always treasured The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and served it in many capacities, including as a two-term President and member of the Board of Trustees, President and Charter Member of the Foundation Board, and Acting Director. He accomplished monumental tasks just by being a nice guy. Following the conclusion of his directorship a fellow trustee commented, "He swiftly earned the trust and loyalty of office staff, guards, groundskeepers, curators, and the board alike. As President and Acting Director in the early 80s, he led the museum through a transition period into the next expansion phase, working with the team to elevate its national prominence. It was a mammoth job which he took on with much grace and his administrating style was most effective."

Charlie felt a responsibility to use his talents, knowledge and foresight to further many causes dear to him. He served on many boards including Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Board President at Agecroft Hall, Virginia Historical Society, President at Historic Richmond, Board Chair at Tuckahoe YMCA, Virginia Opera, Leadership Council Member at MCV Foundation and Founding Trustee of VCU Pauley Heart Center.

A service will be held (and streamed YouTube.com/FPCRichmond) Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Va., followed by burial in Hollywood Cemetery. A reception will follow at the Country Club of Virginia. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his honor to any of the organizations above.