Nancy would like to thank everyone for their kind words and support through this difficult time. We would like to encourage everyone to offer your condolences to Nancy and her family as a comment on this post. Just click on comment, choose the profile of "name" and enter your name and your condolences. Nancy will read them as she has opportunities.
Nancy would also like to thank all of the family members that will be staying with her at her home over the next few weeks to comfort and care for her. It's heartwarming to have so much love and support.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
A Sage Rider
Reed was a desert rat. He loved the desert and he loved desert racing. He was one of the three original founders of the Sage Riders Motorcycle Club.
In the spirit of celebrating his life, his family will be spreading his ashes over his favorite camping spot at Cherry Creek where he used to ride.
Friends and family are welcome to join his wife and children to tell stories from his life around a campfire near Cherry Creek on Friday night, April 23rd. His ashes will be dispersed at noon the following Saturday.
A link to the map to that campsite is in the sidebar of this site. The map will get you close and the dirt roads will be marked with barricades and paper plates to honor Reed's motorcycle and construction backgrounds.
In the spirit of celebrating his life, his family will be spreading his ashes over his favorite camping spot at Cherry Creek where he used to ride.
Friends and family are welcome to join his wife and children to tell stories from his life around a campfire near Cherry Creek on Friday night, April 23rd. His ashes will be dispersed at noon the following Saturday.
A link to the map to that campsite is in the sidebar of this site. The map will get you close and the dirt roads will be marked with barricades and paper plates to honor Reed's motorcycle and construction backgrounds.
A Husband
As a husband, Reed was a bit of romantic. He enjoyed taking his wife shopping and buying her clothes and jewelry. He had several pieces of custom jewelry made for Nancy that were engraved with quotes that the two of them enjoyed.
He supported her in all of her endeavors, whether they were entrepreneurial or political. He stood by her and counseled with her during the most trying times of her life.
Reed gave his wife back rubs every night.
He supported her in all of her endeavors, whether they were entrepreneurial or political. He stood by her and counseled with her during the most trying times of her life.
Reed gave his wife back rubs every night.
An Entrepreneur
He was a teenager when he started his own business as a sub-contractor doing concrete work in the Salt Lake area, but it wasn't until he met Nancy that he obtained a license to be a general contractor. That enabled him to do state and federal jobs and build a multi-million dollar company. He created jobs for his friends and family that lasted more than 30 years.
During that time, he also was very active in the Arabian Horse business. He enjoyed breeding Arabians to see what he could create, he took great joy in naming the babies as well. He was good at it too...he was able to trade 3 of his mares for a small ranch in Arizona.
He retired from the construction business and poured all of his time and efforts into the racing business. He started out racing quarter horses and owned a horse named Speckled Shorts that broke the track record at the South Jordan Equestrian Park. Later, he began racing thoroughbred horses and owned a portion of a horse named Cover Gal that won several hundred thousand dollars racing in Southern California.
After buying, breeding, showing, racing and selling over 100 horses during his lifetime, he ended up with only one. An Arabian gelding that he purchased for his grand daughter as a riding horse.
During that time, he also was very active in the Arabian Horse business. He enjoyed breeding Arabians to see what he could create, he took great joy in naming the babies as well. He was good at it too...he was able to trade 3 of his mares for a small ranch in Arizona.
He retired from the construction business and poured all of his time and efforts into the racing business. He started out racing quarter horses and owned a horse named Speckled Shorts that broke the track record at the South Jordan Equestrian Park. Later, he began racing thoroughbred horses and owned a portion of a horse named Cover Gal that won several hundred thousand dollars racing in Southern California.
After buying, breeding, showing, racing and selling over 100 horses during his lifetime, he ended up with only one. An Arabian gelding that he purchased for his grand daughter as a riding horse.
A Father
My earliest memories of my father are of him getting ready for work. He always sat in the same chair to put his boots on in the morning. He always sat in the same spot to drink his coffee in the morning and he would let me dip my cookies in his coffee.
In the winter, he would pull all the neighborhood kids around on a sled behind the tractor.
My mom made steak and potatoes almost every night for dinner and I would sit next to my dad on the couch and watch TV with him as we ate dinner.
He took me shopping for clothes every birthday and Christmas from the time I was 12 years old. He picked the clothes and sent me to try them on. When I came out of the dressing room, he would give it the thumbs up or thumbs down. 90% of my wardrobe consists of items he bought for me.
He loved taking us out to dinner. We went to dinner with him once or twice a week for several years.
In the winter, he would pull all the neighborhood kids around on a sled behind the tractor.
My mom made steak and potatoes almost every night for dinner and I would sit next to my dad on the couch and watch TV with him as we ate dinner.
He took me shopping for clothes every birthday and Christmas from the time I was 12 years old. He picked the clothes and sent me to try them on. When I came out of the dressing room, he would give it the thumbs up or thumbs down. 90% of my wardrobe consists of items he bought for me.
He loved taking us out to dinner. We went to dinner with him once or twice a week for several years.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Grandfather
Reed had his first heart attack while he was in the hospital visiting me when I gave birth to Braxton. He decided to quit smoking that day.
When Braxton started talking, he kept saying grandma and grandma, so we changed grandpa's name to papa. He's been known as papa ever since.
When my kids were newborns, he would often spend the whole night taking care of them so that I could get some sleep. He fed them, changed them and rocked them in the rocking chair for hours on end.
He was a pushover for his grandkids. All they had to do was say what they wanted and he promptly went out and bought it for them. Everything from ATV's and horses, to clothes and video games.
He became known by all of the kids in the neighborhood as the "sucker man". Every time he came to see his grandkids, he would stop at the 7-Eleven and pick up about 20 suckers. The kids in the neighborhood would see his truck pull up and they would swarm around him as he got out and he passed out suckers to all of them.
When Braxton started talking, he kept saying grandma and grandma, so we changed grandpa's name to papa. He's been known as papa ever since.
When my kids were newborns, he would often spend the whole night taking care of them so that I could get some sleep. He fed them, changed them and rocked them in the rocking chair for hours on end.
He was a pushover for his grandkids. All they had to do was say what they wanted and he promptly went out and bought it for them. Everything from ATV's and horses, to clothes and video games.
He became known by all of the kids in the neighborhood as the "sucker man". Every time he came to see his grandkids, he would stop at the 7-Eleven and pick up about 20 suckers. The kids in the neighborhood would see his truck pull up and they would swarm around him as he got out and he passed out suckers to all of them.
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