Joel Earl Reed

October 10, 1925 – April 7, 2019

Joel (A.K.A. Doc, Papa and Great-Papa) was a servant. He served the Lord, his family, his country, his community and his patients. Which one came first? The one that needed him the most at that particular time. In World War II, he enlisted at age 17 in the Navy College Reserve where he served state-side until the end of the war. He graduated from Ursinus College and then enrolled at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, his birth place. In 1947 he met Jeanne Vogel, a student at the Northwestern University School of Nursing and in December 1947 they were married. She was his rock and his grounding place. (He could easily tell you, they were married, 60 years, 107 days until her passing in April 2008). Not yet finished serving his country, Joel was commissioned as a medical officer in the Air Force in 1951 during the Korean War conflict. He served both stateside and in the Philippians until 1959 where he retired with the rank of Major.

In 1959, he, Jeanne and four children moved to Houston where he was a founding member of Diagnostic Clinic of Houston. Ultimately, he was on staff as the Chief Pulmonologist at several of the hospitals in the Medical Center as well as a founding member of the Houston Health Museum. In 1984 when he was the President of the Harris County Medical Society, he and Jeanne were invited to the White House where he met with President Reagan and Vice-President Bush to be honored for the success of a program he and the Medical Society developed to provide healthcare to uninsured people impacted by the economic recession in Houston. In 1995 at age 70, Joel moved from full-time employment as a physician to full-time serving others on a volunteer basis. For the past 24 years, Joel volunteered as an active physician at the Interfaith Community Clinic. He saw his last patient a just a few weeks ago. For almost 70 years Joel loved, cared for and served his patients. He often said, “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” Retirement was not in his vocabulary.

Since moving to Houston, Joel and Jeanne were members of two churches, Salem Lutheran in Southwest Houston and Lord of Life Lutheran in The Woodlands. In those 70 years, he served on practically every committee, taught classes, preached to the pastors when they got out of line and always lived his faith through his actions. “Faith has been a steering wheel for my life. It was guided by God, by love.”

Joel received numerous awards and recognitions. In 2015, US Congressman Kevin Brady awarded Joel a commendation for his life’s work. In 2018 Joel was named as a Hometown Hero in The Woodlands, primarily because of his work at the clinic. He also wrote and published three books, all after the age of 80. The first was She was God’s Masterpiece, a tribute to Jeanne and their life together. With all of the accomplishments he achieved, none ever surpassed his love for Jeanne and their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Before her passing, Joel and Jeanne made several family trips with each of the children. After her passing, Joel continued the trips with each child to places that included China, Italy, Greece and places within the USA. In 2016, Joel celebrated his 91st birthday in Italy with his children.

Joel was an avid woodworker. Boxes, bowls, toys, rocking horses, cradles, crosses, pens. Every child, grandchild and great grandchild has something that Joel made by hand in his workshop and personally signed by Dad, Papa or Great-Papa. An unfinished child’s walker awaits the ninth great grandchild due this summer.

Joel is survived by all five children, Caryl and her husband Al Reese, Ann and her husband Rick Hopkinson, Joel III and his wife Laurel, Mary and her husband Bill Jones and John and his wife Lisa. From these five came twelve grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, Jennifer Reese Zucconi and her husband the Reverend Tom Zucconi with children Megan, Allison and Nina, Leslie Reese, Eric Hopkinson, Caroline Hopkinson Russe and husband Ryan with daughter Eloise, Catherine Reed Jones and her husband Doug with son Harrison, Joel Reed IV and wife Chelsea Platt, Ryan Reed and wife Diana with daughter Olivia, Elyse Jones McLean and husband Jimmy with son James, Bryan Jones, Christian Jones, Reverend Kristin Reed Klade and husband John with son Frank and one more due this summer and Alissa Reed Reves and husband Jordan. Joel is also survived by Jeanne’s sister and her husband, Caryl and George Miller along with nephew Robert Miller and nieces Jeanne Miller and Georgia Miller-Blood and her husband Tim with great nieces Robbie Blood and Sydney Blood Baker and her husband Chris.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be given to the following suggestions or your favorite charities:

Interfaith Community Clinic, 101 Pine Manor Drive, Oak Ridge North, Texas 77385

The Jeanne V Reed Charitable Foundation, 27 Baronial Circle, The Woodlands, Texas 77382

Service are arranged by Forest Park, The Woodlands, 936-273-4922. A celebration service will be held Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 11:00 am at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 3801 South Panther Creek, The Woodlands, Texas 77381, 281-367-7016. A visitation and reception at the church will follow immediately after the service. A private family interment will precede the celebration service.