James W. Reid

Col. James W. Reid, a retired US military officer, decorated during the Vietnam War with the Legion of Merit for his “outstanding meritorious services” by General Creighton Abrams in honor of his role as a key player for General Westmorland’s clandestine “Operation Vesuvius” in Cambodia in 1967-68, died Sunday evening Dec. 4 in White Plains Hospital.

His wife, Riet, said the death was caused from complications of Leukemia. He was 83 years old.

James W. Reid was born in London, England. His American mother came from Smithtown, Long Island and his father, from an old Scottish family, was a British military officer and UN diplomat whose grandfather administered Oudh, northern India for Britain’s Queen Victoria until 1890.

Reid, was one of the world’s foremost authorities of Peruvian textiles who specializing in the art, archaeology, history, religion, sociology and political institutions of ancient--pre Spanish conquest –South America. His academic background includes graduation from England’s 600 year old Winchester College, Princeton University(BA), Stanford (MA), as well at studies at the Institute de Sciences Politiques in Paris at L’Ecole des Beau Arts and doctoral works at the Universidad de Buenos Aires.

In the 1970’s, after combat in the Vietnam and Korean wars, Col. Reid with his wife Riet served for seven years in US Military Attaché posts in Argentina and Bolivia, during the years of left-wing terrorism in South America.

James Reid, was a resident of Hartsdale NY, and an animal lover who served with his own beloved war dog in Korea. He contributed generously to animal shelters in Westchester and in South America. He was known as a true “Renaissance Man” because of his eclectic interests and fluent knowledge of seven languages including Russian, French, Spanish Portuguese and Quechua, the language of ancient Incas still used by South American indigenous Andean Indians. He was also an accomplished artist who exhibited his paintings in galleries and museums in South America, France and the US. He was a life-time member of the Paris Salon de’Automne. As a secondary career, he lectured at sea throughout the world for Holland America and Celebrity Cruises delivering more than 1,000 presentations illustrated by his own photographs. He also founded the cultural enrichment Flagship Forum program.

Reid was an elected member of the Explorer’s Club for his explorations of remote areas of Peru. He authored 16 major books including a weighty scholarly de luxe edition of “Magic Feathers Textile Art from Ancient Peru” in which, according to art historian Frederico Kauffman-Doig, he “finally lifted the veil that for so long has enveloped feather art.”

James Reid was survived by Riet, his wife of 58 Years who is also fluent in many languages and cultures, two married sons James A. Reid, Pascal C. Reid, four grandchildren and one sister Ginny Hansen.