Dean Leroy Reed

Dean was born in McGill, Nevada on January 12th, 1930, the second son of Don and Nelda Reed.

In 1944 the family moved to Portland, Oregon where Dean met Valerine Wollertz. Dean was attending Benson High School at the time and Valerine was attending Gresham High School. Their relationship grew and they were married on March 26th, 1950 in Portland.

Dean found a job at the Journal newspaper and when the strike hit in the mid-fifties he and friend Jack Harris formed a printing and mailing business called A-1 Direct Mail. The business grew steadily over the years eventually employing as many 50 employees and was eventually renamed Reed/Harris, Inc.

This was the age of direct mail advertising and Dean and Jack’s business was a growing concern throughout the sixties and seventies and beyond. They worked with such clients as American Guaranty Insurance, Willoughby Hearing Aid, Traveler’s Insurance and many more. In the eighties Dean and Jack sold their business to the employees and Dean’s son-in-law Mike Oberg took over management duties.

Dean was also involved in the Shriner’s Hospital Charity and a member of the Elks Lodge.

Dean loved western culture and horses, a love he developed in his early days as a kid in Nevada. He also loved to fish in rivers and lakes and the ocean, as well as deer and elk hunting in Eastern Oregon. Dean and Val enjoyed strong ties with the ranchers in the Snake River area and became regulars in that community.

Dean Reed is survived by his daughter Kim Oberg, his son Marc Reed, son-in-law Michael Oberg, and grandchildren Amelia Reed, Danell Oberg and Dean Oberg and his brother Stanley Reed.