Eric “Rick” Davis Reed, age 72, of Trout Lake, passed away on March 30, 2017.
Calling hours were held at French Funeral Home, 16 Barnes Street, Gouverneur NY, on Monday, April 3, 2017 from 2p.m. to4p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. His funeral service was held at the United Church of Richville on Tuesday at 1p.m. with Rev. Karen Taylor and Pastor David Hart officiating.
Rick was born on October 14, 1944 in Liverpool, N.Y. to the late Erie John and Helen (Davis) Reed. He attended the Richville School and graduated from the Gouverneur Central School in 1963. After graduation, Rick served in the United States Army from 1963 until his honorable discharge in 1966.
Rick had worked for the New York State Department of Transportation before becoming a New York State Trooper. He joined the Troopers on his birthday in 1968 and retired in 1992.
Mr. Reed married Patti (Porter) Ormsby on July 8, 1989. A previous marriage to Diane Bresett ended in divorce.
Rick loved time spent with family and friends at Reed’s Retreat on Trout Lake. He liked to hunt, kayak on the Grasse River, and fish. He enjoyed tinkering on anything that needed to be fixed, thought the older an engine was, the better it was, and would help out anybody and everybody. Like his parents before, Rick donated most of his time and created a secondary career in service of his community by assisting family, friends and those in need. Rick was the one person to call when you needed assistance with your biggest challenges in life. He and Patti liked to travel each year and have been to Europe, Hawaii and Alaska.
Every year on his birthday, the family would celebrate by jumping into Trout Lake together (yes, during October). He would often bet his customary one dollar on NASCAR races, and be sure to turn the TV off if his driver was losing. Rick was a former member of the Spruce Mountain Hunting Club, the Richville Fire Department, the Elks Lodge in Gouverneur, and the Gouverneur Rescue Squad.
His survivors include his wife, Patti of Trout Lake; four children, Kimberly and Scott Gerhart of Florida, Karole Elthorp of Gouverneur, David Reed and Linda Torres-Reed of Florida, and Kory Reed of Harrisville; sisters, Helen Mary McCumber of Loudonville, Janet and Robert Fields of Lorraine, and Carol and James Henderson of Mississippi. He is also survived by his step-children, Gary and Laurie Ormsby of Texas, Tricia and Joe Devito of Russell; his cousin, Paul Reed who was like a brother to him; eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
He is predeceased by his parents; a brother, Phillip John Reed, who died in infancy; and a brother-in-law, Clifford McCumber.
Donations in memory of Rick may be made to the United Church of Richville, PO Box 277, Richville NY 13681 or the Maple Grove Cemetery Association, 19 Phelps Road, Gouverneur N.Y. 13642. Condolences may be shared online at www.frenchfuneralhomes.com.
