Harry J. Reed Jr.

Harry was born May 29, 1921, in Lafayette, Indiana, the son of Harry J. Reed, Sr., Dean of the Purdue School of Agriculture, and Julia (Heick) Reed. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1939 and from Purdue University in 1943 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

On New Year’s Eve, 1942, Harry married the love of his life and Purdue classmate, Wanda Lee Newton, of Chicago, Illinois. They celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary last December.

During World War II, Harry worked at the Radiation Laboratory at MIT where most of the microwave radars used by the US during the war were developed. After the war, Harry and Wanda moved to Pleasantville, NY, where Harry worked as an electrical engineer with General Precision Laboratories until 1966.

In 1966 Harry moved his family to Concord, NH, where he became Vice President of Northeast Electronics and helped to design and manage their new production facility. In the late 1970’s, Harry and Wanda moved to Keene, NH, where Harry worked full time at Markem Corporation until the age of 75.

When Harry and Wanda first married, they had a dream of owning a cabin in the woods. First they built a summer place at Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. After moving to New Hampshire, they purchased and expanded a cabin on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith. One of Harry’s passions was sailing. He had a Cape Cod sailboat that he sailed in both lakes and occasionally raced in local sailboat races. Their children and grandchildren were lucky to spend their summers at these cabins with their grandparents.

Harry was a Boy Scout in his youth and always looked forward to spending time in the outdoors. In addition to sailing, he loved skiing, hiking and canoe camping. Among the many causes that he supported Harry was a long-time member of the Appalachian Mountain Club. He supported the efforts of the Society for the Protection of NH Forests during the debates over the construction of the highway through Franconia Notch. Harry was also a contributor to the establishment of a public conservation area on Stonedam Island in Meredith.

Harry loved his projects and was forever building things. As a thrifty mid-westerner and “boots on the ground” environmentalist, he was most proud of the passive solar home that he designed and built in Keene. His workroom was always full of his latest projects – and a million items that with great love he fixed for his family, friends and neighbors. His engineering mind would find creative solutions for problems. An accomplished engineer, mathematician and handyman, he could fix anything.

In his sixties, Harry was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Despite being frustrated by the symptoms of MS, which eventually took away his ability to walk and to do many of the things he loved, in all of those years he never once complained about his condition.

Harry is survived by his wife, Wanda (Newton) Reed; his son, Larry Reed, and his wife, Lu, of Shelton, Connecticut; his daughter, Sherri Cheney, and her husband, Bob of Bow, NH; his granddaughter, Megan Schrade and her husband, Scott, also of Shelton; his grandsons Tom Reed of Boulder, Colorado, Patrick Cheney of Antrim, NH, and Sean Cheney of Hillsboro, NH, and soon of Plano, Texas; and three great-grandchildren, Luke, Delia and Gwenyth Schrade.

The Reed family would like to thank the dedicated staff at Bel-Air Nursing Home in Goffstown, NH, for their warm and caring assistance during his stay there.

Bennett Funeral Home in Concord, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. Services will be private. In lieu of flowers those wishing to do so may make donations in his memory to the Multiple Sclerosis Society at 1361 Elm Street, Manchester, NH, or at their website www.nationalmssociety.org.