John Cowell Reid

John Cowell Reid, age 88, passed away peacefully on October 18, 2026 in Green Valley, AZ He was born on March 7, 1938 in Detroit, MI, the son of Gare Burt Sr and Helen (Scott) Reid and grew up in Redford, MI.

John earned a B.A. in Economics from the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio in 1959. He served in the US Army Security Agency from 1960-1963. He married his college sweetheart, Louisa Anne (Brown), on June 3rd, 1961, and they moved overseas to Harrogate, Yorkshire, England where John was assigned to Menwith Hill Station.

Post Army, John started his career as a commercial banker in Cleveland, Ohio and was then employed as a bank branch manager in Wooster, Ohio. Their children, Katherine Anne and William Stuart, were born in 1967 and 1969.

John obtained a Master of Science in Library Science from Case Western Reserve University in 1970 and then moved with his wife and young family to West Bend, WI where he served as Public Library Director for almost 30 years.

John and Louisa Anne retired to Green Valley, AZ in 2004. He enjoyed many years of woodworking and golf (including his first hole-in-one) in Arizona. John belonged to American Legion Post 66 and also volunteered at the VA Veterans Hospital in Tucson. Classical music and reading were lifelong pastimes. He was extremely proud of and devoted to his family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Gare Burt Reid and sister-in-law Dorothy Jean Reid. John is survived by his wife Louisa Anne, daughter Katherine Brath (Joe Horvath) and son William (Mary) Reid. Beloved grandfather to Michael (Stacy), Andrew (Krista), Don, Jessie, Celia and Liam, and great-grandfather to Owen, Violet and Della.

Donations in John's memory may be made to Friends in Deed, 301 W. Camino Casa Verde, Green Valley, AZ 85614. Internment will be held at a later date at the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sierra Vista, AZ.