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Obituary for Donald Reed
Donald Louis “Ducky” Reed, 86, Oconto, Wisconsin, passed away on June 8th, 2016 at the Unity Hospice Residence in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was born March 21st, 1930 to the late Florence (Johnson) and Everett Reed, of Oconto. Most people knew him as “Ducky”. His friends in grade school gave him this nickname in 1934 when Walt Disney introduced the cartoon character “Donald Duck”. Don lived all of his life in Oconto, mostly on the south bay shore on the family property which was settled in 1856 by his great great grandparents, Abram R. and Harriet Gale, just 2 years after Wisconsin became a state. He enjoyed nature and an outdoor life, as an avid hunter and fisherman. He also loved boating, snowmobiling and league trap shooting, pool and bowling. Don graduated Oconto High School in 1949. His senior year, he joined the National Guard. In 1950 and 1951, Don sailed all the Great Lakes as a deckhand on the William H. Wolf, an iron ore steamship. In 1951 he was drafted into the Army, where he served in Germany during the Korean War. He attended UW Madison for animal husbandry in 1953 and 1954 where he would learn skills used on his father’s mink ranch where he worked from 1955 to 1968. He also did commercial fishing with his father, on a trawler the Bounty, from 1967 to 1979. Don operated Reed’s Rupp Sales from 1970 to 1973 selling and servicing snowmobiles, and other outdoor recreational vehicles. He worked for Cruisers in maintenance from 1972 till 1992, when he retired. Don was a proud member of numerous organizations. He was a perpetual member and past Master of the Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of WI, Oconto Pine Lodge #188, a charter member of Shriners International, a member of Salvation Army, American Legion, Oconto Sportsmen’s Club, Oconto Pool, Bowling and Trap Shooting Leagues, North American Hunting Club, Oconto Gun Club, Oconto Elks Club, Oconto River Bow Hunters, Ducks Unlimited, North American Fishing Club, National Rifle Association, American Water-Ski Assn, and Oconto Skiing Patriots. He was also a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Oconto. Don was a very active philanthropist and it was his priority to generously, financially support animal, wildlife, nature and many other organizations he cared deeply about - National and Local Humane Societies, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife, National Parks Conservation Assn, National Arbor Day Foundation, World Wildlife Organization, National Audubon Society, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home and St. Joseph’s Indian School, just to name a few. Don was preceded by his parents and one sister, Janice. He is survived by his daughter Laurel (Jo) Edwards, Oconto, his granddaughter Megan Schreiter, Green Bay and three nieces Diane Bellis, New Mexico, Candice Rosengarten, Australia, and Susan (Mike) VanHecke, Colorado.
The family will receive relatives and friends at the Gallagher Funeral Home, Oconto, from 4:30 to 6 PM Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Masonic service by Oconto Pine Lodge #188 at 6 PM, immediately followed by Memorial service by Rev. Craig Alwin. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed at www.gallagherfuneralhome.net.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Unity Hospice, Sun Valley Homes Nine Acres and Woodland Village Nursing Home in Oconto for the kind and loving care extended to Don over the past year.
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