Saturday, January 2nd, 2016
Fr. Albert Reed
Fr. Albert Reed, C.PP.S., 87, died at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2015, in the infirmary at St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio. He had been in failing health.
Fr. Reed was born in Gettysburg, Pa., on November 23, 1928, to Lloyd and Madaline (Bowling) Reed. He entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1945 and was ordained on May 15, 1954.
Upon his ordination, Fr. Reed was assigned to St. Charles, then a seminary. He then studied canon law at Catholic University and also pursued higher studies in Rome, earning a doctoral degree. From 1958-1959, he served at St. James the Less Parish in Columbus, Ohio. In 1959, he returned to St. Charles Seminary, where he served as a professor of canon law. From 1967–1968, he served as pastor at St. Sebastian Church in Chickasaw, Ohio. In 1968, Fr. Reed was assigned to the chancery office of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind.
Fr. Reed returned to parish ministry at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Cleveland (1972–75); St. Augustine Church in Minster, Ohio (1975–79); St. Peter Church in Winamac, Ind. (1979–88); and St. Francis Borgia Church, Sturgis, Ky., and St. Ambrose Church in Henshaw, Ky. (1988–94). He also served at St. Andrew Church in Orlando and St. Bernard Church in Burkettsville, Ohio. He retired to St. Charles Center in 2000.
Fr. Reed was one of 14 siblings. Survivors include his brothers Richard; Patrick and his wife, Pat, of Red Lion, Pa.; Edward and his wife, Judy, of York, Pa.; four sisters-in-law, Mildred (Mickey) Reed of Oldsmar, Fla.; Helen Reed of Weymouth, Mass.; Mary Reed, York, Pa.; and Audrey Reed of Rehoboth Beach, N.J.; and numerous nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by three sisters, Therese and her husband, Harold Conrad; Vesta and her husband, Stuart Peterson; and Ave Maria Reed; and seven brothers, Lloyd, Gilbert, Joseph (and his wife, June), Bernard, Chester, Damian and Frederick (and his wife, Virginia).
Fr. Reed had a brilliant mind and was well equipped to study the intricacies of canon law, said his friend, Fr. James McCabe, C.PP.S., who noted, "He spent 10 years as a professor of canon law, and the seminarians enjoyed his classes as much as canon law could be enjoyed."
Along with it came a dry sense of humor. "He could tell a joke and never smile, even when everyone around him was cracking up," said his brother, Edward Reed. "He was also a very humble man. Throughout his life he was very modest about all his accomplishments."
Fr. Reed enjoyed his years in parish ministry. He also loved to fish, often inviting parishioners along on fishing excursions.
A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Monday, January 4, at 2 p.m. at St. Charles Center. Burial will follow in the Community cemetery.
Calling hours at St. Charles will be held on Sunday, January 3 from 1-5 and 7-9 p.m. with a prayer service at 7 p.m.
Memorial donations may be made to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, Cincinnati Province.
Hogenkamp Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
