Pine Plains remembers Ray Reed

PINE PLAINS — He was a regular at Town Board meetings (both as councilman and later, as a watchful citizen), a favorite at the Lions Club and American Legion, an active and vigilant member of the Twin Island Lake Association and a much loved member of the community. Raymond “Ray� Reed was indeed known to most people in Pine Plains as a man who wore many hats — all donned by a likeable and steadfast man who died last week at the age of 88, only seven months after his wife, Lucille, died this winter.

“If ever there was a case of somebody dying of a broken heart, this was the case. When his wife died he was just a hollow man of what he once was,� said town Supervisor Gregg Pulver, who added that Pine Plains lost a number of its “old timers� recently. “This was a tough year. Ray was again another one of those guys like Jerry [Stuetzle] or my father [Anthony ‘Brud’ Pulver], etc., who were dedicated to more than just public life. It almost wasn’t a [Town Board] meeting unless Ray was there. What a great guy. He will surely be missed, no doubt about it.�

Councilwoman Dorean Gardner also reflected on how hard Reed was hit by his wife’s death Jan. 13.

“Ray died of a broken heart,� she said. “After Lucille passed away he lost his will to live... But he’s with his honey now.�

Reed died on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009, at Northern Dutchess Hospital in Rhinebeck. He was born in Staten Island, on May 16, 1921. He served in the United States Army and in later years was a member of the American Legion Post No.  426. On Feb. 11, 1946, he married Lucille. He was an inspector for the Brooklyn Gas Company as well as the mail and food courier for the Pine Plains Central School District. He served on the Pine Plains Town Board from 1982 to 1985 and again from 1992 to 1999.

“Ray was a good listener,� said Gardner, who served on the Town Board with Reed. “When he was on the board, Ray wasn’t one to have a strong opinion of himself, so he would listen to everybody and then form an opinion. You need to be open to outside influences and then make decisions [and he was]. And when you gave him things to do he would fulfill the job to the end. He wouldn’t put it off to the last minute.�

“He was a very selfless man. He believed in giving back to the community,� said George Keeler, councilman and fellow Legionnaire. “He was the type of person indicative of the Greatest Generation. He’ll be sadly missed.�

Katherine Kozar and her family lived next door to the Reed family for more than 50 years; she said the relationship they forged was a special one.

“I’ve known him and his children for many, many years — his children and my children grew up together,� she said. “He was very helpful; he always tried to help people if he could. He was a very good person.�

One of her favorite memories was how she would share food with the Reeds, as both families shared their Hungarian and German heritage.

“He always enjoyed the Hungarian food and I knew how to prepare some of those dishes. Whenever we had something we always gave some to him,� she reminisced. “My husband would say, ‘We have to share,’ and I would say, ‘Yes, we have to share.’ He would have a smile on his face and enjoy the plum balls, goulash, paprika chicken, Hungarian noodles, kobass sausage, etc.�

In addition to specialty food dishes, Kozar said there were other bonds that tied the two families together. The Reeds also nurtured the Kozars’ daughter, who has Down syndrome, which meant a lot to Katherine. Then there were the little things Reed would do: repair light fixtures, turn off the water for the house, help with odd jobs and all the tasks that needed to be addressed but were hard for Kozar to do once her husband died. In return, Kozar kept an eye on Reed, especially once his wife died.

“I would see if he needed any help because he was the kind of man who never asked anybody for help,� she said. “I watched his routine and if it was the same I wouldn’t be too concerned.�

But again, those who knew Reed were generally concerned for him once his wife died. Jerry Chestney knew Reed ever since he moved to Pine Plains; he stayed in close contact with his friend. He said the man who devoted so many hours (and more than three decades) to the Lions Club and to town politics will be sorely missed by many.

“Ray was a hometown guy and I’m going to miss him terribly,� Chestney said. “He was a volunteer, but he was not well in the end and we’ll all certainly miss him, but I know that he’s in a better place.

“He was so much for the betterment of the community,� he added. “Ray wasn’t a private person, but he was a very humble man.�