Wyclif Alfred Reed

Wyclif (Clif) Reed was a second generation New Zealander born in the capital, Wellington on February 7, 1933. He was the first of four children of A.W. (Clif) and Chrissy Margareta (Rita) Reed. His father co-founded New Zealand’s leading book publisher, and was also a prolific author in his own right. Clif attended Wellington College for his secondary school education, which he later supplemented with electronic engineering, business management and marketing courses.

Clif inherited his family’s appetite for adventure, and early on in his career he struck out on his own from the family business. He was an enthusiastic radio amateur and enjoyed pastimes including motoring, flying and exploring New Zealand. As his interest in electronics (in particular amateur radio) grew, he found that he would have to venture beyond New Zealand to realize his ambitions.

When Clif departed New Zealand for England in early 1964, he would have been very surprised to learn that he would reside for the remainder of his life overseas and would eventually visit over 100 countries! He travelled via the US where he visited acquaintances in a handful of states including California, before heading on to London. While working there, he was asked to move to Dublin to join the Irish division of his employer. It was there that he was invited to an engagement party where he met Pauline Leenane, a nurse from County Tipperary who was back in Ireland on sabbatical from her career in New York City. They were married a few months later in August 1966. They decided that Ireland was charming, but not big enough for their ambitions!

As the young couple worked through the US immigration process, they decided to temporarily move to Canada in 1967. They both immediately found good work with solid future prospects, but the Toronto winter convinced them to press on to the US. Clif developed a plan to co-found a company to manufacture radio transceivers in the US, and once the residency paperwork was sorted, they moved to San Diego, California in 1968.

While Clif achieved some success with his first venture (launched with partners), he was eager to strike out on his own. Shortly after the birth of his eldest son, Scott, he set up Trans World Communications. Before long, his second son Richard was born, and with lots of hard work and some luck, the business prospered and was eventually sold in 1989. Remarkably, the company to this day is still actively manufacturing radio systems and employing hundreds of people in California.

A devoted family man, in the early days Clif had the good fortune with the business to be able to do much of the product design from home. This allowed him to spend precious time with the young family, despite the long hours. Ever hungry for new challenges, Clif and Pauline invited his brother Selwyn and family to spend a year in San Diego building a new family home, bought a second home in the mountains at Mammoth Lakes (and even a light plane which he piloted back and forth). Along the way, Trans World provided Clif and Pauline with ample opportunity to travel throughout the world.

Following his retirement in 1989, Clif and Pauline embarked on a truly remarkable set of adventures. These included purchasing multiple sail boats and culminated in their sailing solo across the Pacific Ocean. After their sailing days, they continued their naval explorations on a large motor launch which they used to travel extensively throughout Mexico and New Zealand. They eventually built a second home north of Auckland, as well as living in multiple states in the US. Clif also had a passion for exotic cars, which began with a Humber Snipe and later included Bentleys for Pauline and an Aston Martin for himself on his 88th birthday! While exploring the world, Clif took time to maintain a handicap of 16 on the golf course, and particularly enjoyed that he consistently shot his age over the last few years. Clif blessed us with several detailed books with illustrations documenting their adventures – they will always be treasured by the family!

Not having had the opportunity to attend college himself, education was tremendously important to Clif. To this end he insisted on putting all of his children and grandchildren through school and was immensely proud of their accomplishments, including son Scott obtaining two bachelor's degrees from the University of Virginia within four years and a MBA from Dartmouth College, and son Richard obtaining his PhD from the University of Oxford. A passionate life-long learner, he remained active with amateur radio long after retiring. He keenly read nonfiction and current affairs, and in his later years particularly enjoyed university lecture series on science, history, arts and global affairs.

Clif cared deeply about his family, adored his wife Pauline, and enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his loved ones. He set a remarkable example to his family about how one can accomplish anything in life with education, the support of family and lots and lots of hard work and determination. As his sons are want to say: everything we needed to know in life we learned at the dinner table! Clif is survived by his sister, Heather (and her husband Roger); sons Scott and Richard (and wife Melodika); grandchildren Alexander (and partner Ivi), Alexis, Justin, Mitchell and Shane (and wife Rachel); and great grandchildren Ashton (parents Alexander and Ivi) and Charlotte (parents Shane and Rachel). Clif will be laid to rest next to the love of his life, Pauline in Ireland in 2024. He lived life fully and on his own terms. He died peacefully in his own home with his sons by his side and with no regrets. His last wish was that we remember him as a man grateful for many blessings who lived a wonderful life. Ladies and gentlemen, please hold your tears and instead join us joyously in raising a glass to a much loved man who will be deeply missed – Clif Reed!