H. Grady Reed
February 21, 1913 — May 18, 2007
H. Grady Reed
We mourn the loss of our beloved father, H. Grady Reed of Kingsport, TN, who passed away at the age of 94 on Friday, May 18, 2007 after a committed life of service to his faith, family, community, and employer.
Grady was born on February 21, 1913 in Villanow, Georgia, the oldest of six children of Elizabeth Phillips Reed and John Henry Reed. As a son of a tenant cotton farmer, Grady was motivated to pursue an education. He was the first in his family to graduate from high school in Lafayette, Georgia in 1931. Grady worked his way through college, earning his BS and MS degrees in Chemistry from Emory University in Atlanta. While in college, Grady married is first sweetheart, Eulene Young, of Villanow, Georgia.
Upon completion of graduate school, Grady joined Tennessee Eastman Company in June 1937. He held various positions with the company, beginning in the Development Department of the Cellulose Acetate Division and eventually being appointed Superintendent of the Yarn Esters Department, where he remained until his retirement in 1978, after 41 years of service.
Eulene and Grady enjoyed 21 years of happy marriage and had three children, Don, Jane, and Mark. Eulene died suddenly at the age of 40. Grady then married Marjorie Faw Nicholson who had one son, Bob. They remained a devoted couple to each other until Marjorie?s recent death December 18, 2006. Grady often commented on his good fortune in both of his marriages that his wife was his best friend.
Grady was a servant of the Lord through First Baptist Church of Kingsport where he had attended with his family since his arrival to Kingsport in 1937. He served in many areas of church life including being Chairman of the Board of Deacons and serving as Superintendent of Sunday Schools. Since his retirement, Grady and Marjorie were very active in mission work through Campus Crusade for Christ. They served three extended mission trips to Africa, one to Kenya, and two to Swaziland.
Grady served his country during World War II as a Captain in the Tennessee National Guard. He served the greater Kingsport community through his involvement as Chairman of the local chapter of the Hawkins/Sullivan Chapter of the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and as an elected Commissioner to the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners for nine years where he served as Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee.
Grady was very active in the Kiwanis Club of Cosmopolitan Kingsport. He was a charter member in 1962, served as President in 1966, elected to be Lieutenant Governor of District 7 in 1974, and was also selected as ?Kiwanian of the Year? in 1974. Grady was honored by his beloved ?Cosmo? Kiwanis Club on May 20, 2003 at their weekly luncheon with a Board Resolution recognizing his years of service to his church, family, employer, and community with a lifetime membership to the Cosmo Club.
Grady loved construction of all kinds. He worked with Habitat for Humanity, supervised the construction of a church in Swaziland, designed and built his dream home after he retired from Eastman, and helped with the construction of the Baptist Retreat Center at Bays Mountain, where the photo included with the article was taken. He will be long remembered for his big smile, his appreciation for southern cooking, his funny quips, his generosity ? and most especially by his grandchildren for his extraordinary bear hug.
H. Grady Reed will be greatly missed by his daughter, Jane Reed Sherman and her children, Jason, Caleb, Jessica Eulene, Brendan, and Justin; his sons, Don Reed and wife Suzie and their daughter, Rachel; Bob Reed and wife Janie; Mark Reed and wife Kimey and their children, Brook, John Barrett, and Wil; his two great-grandchildren, Annabelle and Harold; his brother, Ben Reed and wife Roby; his sisters, Jane Bagley and Frances Haygood; his sister-in-law, Thelma Reed; and many nieces and nephews.
May his memory endure as a blessing.
The family will receive friends Sunday from 5:30 till 7:00 p.m. at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, downtown.
Services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church with Dr. Marvin Cameron officiating.
Graveside services will be conducted at 10:15 Monday at Oak Hill Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity, 100 Greenwood Lane, Kingsport, TN 37663.
Grady was born on February 21, 1913 in Villanow, Georgia, the oldest of six children of Elizabeth Phillips Reed and John Henry Reed. As a son of a tenant cotton farmer, Grady was motivated to pursue an education. He was the first in his family to graduate from high school in Lafayette, Georgia in 1931. Grady worked his way through college, earning his BS and MS degrees in Chemistry from Emory University in Atlanta. While in college, Grady married is first sweetheart, Eulene Young, of Villanow, Georgia.
Upon completion of graduate school, Grady joined Tennessee Eastman Company in June 1937. He held various positions with the company, beginning in the Development Department of the Cellulose Acetate Division and eventually being appointed Superintendent of the Yarn Esters Department, where he remained until his retirement in 1978, after 41 years of service.
Eulene and Grady enjoyed 21 years of happy marriage and had three children, Don, Jane, and Mark. Eulene died suddenly at the age of 40. Grady then married Marjorie Faw Nicholson who had one son, Bob. They remained a devoted couple to each other until Marjorie?s recent death December 18, 2006. Grady often commented on his good fortune in both of his marriages that his wife was his best friend.
Grady was a servant of the Lord through First Baptist Church of Kingsport where he had attended with his family since his arrival to Kingsport in 1937. He served in many areas of church life including being Chairman of the Board of Deacons and serving as Superintendent of Sunday Schools. Since his retirement, Grady and Marjorie were very active in mission work through Campus Crusade for Christ. They served three extended mission trips to Africa, one to Kenya, and two to Swaziland.
Grady served his country during World War II as a Captain in the Tennessee National Guard. He served the greater Kingsport community through his involvement as Chairman of the local chapter of the Hawkins/Sullivan Chapter of the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, and as an elected Commissioner to the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners for nine years where he served as Vice Chairman of the Budget Committee.
Grady was very active in the Kiwanis Club of Cosmopolitan Kingsport. He was a charter member in 1962, served as President in 1966, elected to be Lieutenant Governor of District 7 in 1974, and was also selected as ?Kiwanian of the Year? in 1974. Grady was honored by his beloved ?Cosmo? Kiwanis Club on May 20, 2003 at their weekly luncheon with a Board Resolution recognizing his years of service to his church, family, employer, and community with a lifetime membership to the Cosmo Club.
Grady loved construction of all kinds. He worked with Habitat for Humanity, supervised the construction of a church in Swaziland, designed and built his dream home after he retired from Eastman, and helped with the construction of the Baptist Retreat Center at Bays Mountain, where the photo included with the article was taken. He will be long remembered for his big smile, his appreciation for southern cooking, his funny quips, his generosity ? and most especially by his grandchildren for his extraordinary bear hug.
H. Grady Reed will be greatly missed by his daughter, Jane Reed Sherman and her children, Jason, Caleb, Jessica Eulene, Brendan, and Justin; his sons, Don Reed and wife Suzie and their daughter, Rachel; Bob Reed and wife Janie; Mark Reed and wife Kimey and their children, Brook, John Barrett, and Wil; his two great-grandchildren, Annabelle and Harold; his brother, Ben Reed and wife Roby; his sisters, Jane Bagley and Frances Haygood; his sister-in-law, Thelma Reed; and many nieces and nephews.
May his memory endure as a blessing.
The family will receive friends Sunday from 5:30 till 7:00 p.m. at Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Homes, downtown.
Services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church with Dr. Marvin Cameron officiating.
Graveside services will be conducted at 10:15 Monday at Oak Hill Memorial Park.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity, 100 Greenwood Lane, Kingsport, TN 37663.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of H. Grady Reed, please visit our flower store.
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