Raymond Reed Barrows

BARROWS, Raymond Reed, was born to parents Mr. Raymond Reed Barrows and Mrs. Dorothy Arundale Barrows. Reed grew up in Delaware and graduated from The West Point Academy in 1961. He was an Army Veteran who served in South Vietnam and South Korea. Reed moved to Hanover County in 1979 and purchased a historic farmhouse in Hanover Courthouse that was constructed around 1890. Reed's passion was to renovate the farmhouse into a a living space that met current Building Codes, but preserved the historical aspects. He began those renovations in 2000 using local contractors and continued working on the upgrades until his death resulting from a severe stroke.

Reed is survived by a sister, Elizabeth May Cleary and a nephew Michael Reed Cleary and his wife, Kima Joy Taylor and their son, Kai Reed Cleary and daughter, Anisha Joy Cleary. Other than his parents, Reed was preceded in death by a sister, Dorothy Barrows Apollonio.

Reed was a Military Engineer who was part of bridge building efforts of the Corps of Engineers in South Vietnam during that conflict. He continued to use those skills as an Environmental Engineer for Hanover County Public Works and then joined the Virginia Department of Health in the Division of Wastewater Engineering. His duties included enforcement of the Sewage Collection and Treatment Regulations in the Central Virginia Area. Reed continued his career with the Department of Environmental Quality, serving as a Technical Services Engineer for the Office of Wastewater Engineering. He contributed to the success of numerous wastewater collection and treatment projects in Virginia, vastly improving the quality of the Commonwealth's water resources. He was a member of the national Water Environment Federation and the Virginia Water Environment Association. Reed retired from State Service in 2009.

He developed a large vegetable garden and and hot house for growing plants from seeds. Reed enjoyed meeting with former state workers and friends for lunch or for a happy hour at an area restaurant and craft brewery. He was a member of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts for many years. He was interested in agriculture and regularly attended the State Fair. The Racing Pigs show was one of his favorites.

A Memorial Service will be celebrated at Woody Funeral Home- Atlee Chapel, 9271 Shady Grove Rd., Mechanicsville, VA 22116 on Saturday, January 13th, 2023 at 1 PM. A reception to follow the service in the Magnolia room.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in remembrance.