Edward William Reed ’51

At Princeton he majored in mechanical engineering and was a member of ASME, Tiger Inn, and the Catholic Club. As an undergraduate he had an outstanding athletic career, winning three letters in 1950 in football, basketball, and baseball. He roomed with Mike Kearns and Ralph Van Demark.  

Ed and Lurana Oliver were married June 17, 1951.  

He started his career with Union Carbide, and then connected with a manufacturers’ representative, spending the next 40 years selling chemical-processing equipment. He started his own company in 1983 and retired in 2000.  

An avid golfer, Ed organized a league at Byrncliff Resort in Varysburg, N.Y., for 15 years. He was active in his community and is best remembered for refereeing Little Loop and high school football.

Ed had major medical problems the last 10 years of his life and died from congestive heart failure Dec. 17, 2008, in East Aurora, N.Y. He is survived by Lurana; their children, Edward Jr., Dianne Severance, John, and Amy; and 12 grandchildren. His daughter Kathryn Overbeck predeceased him. We join his family in mourning the death of a gifted athlete, family man, and friend.