James A. Reed

James A. Reed of Riverhead, N.Y., and formerly of Manorville, N.Y., died Oct. 27, 2021, at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead after a brief illness. He was 79 years old.

He was born Dec. 2, 1941, in Keene, N.Y., to Erma (Bowlyer) and Howard Reed. Raised in Keene, he was a graduate of Keene Central School, Miners Institute in Chazy, N.Y., and Simmons Mortuary School in Syracuse, N.Y.

Jim served honorably in the United States Army in the mortuary in Kaiserslautern, Germany. In the mid-1960s, he moved to Long Island and as a New York State licensed funeral director worked for S.B. Horton Funeral Home in Greenport and then with Reginald H. Tuthill Funeral Home in Riverhead and DeFriest Funeral Home in Southold.

He then went on to become a sales associate in the casket industry, working for National Casket Company, Batesville Casket Company, Northeast Casket Company, South Brooklyn Casket Company and J & R Victoriaville Casket Company.

Memberships in the National Funeral Directors Association, New York State Funeral Directors Association and Nassau-Suffolk Funeral Directors Association (where he chaired the continuing education committee) were very important to him, as he had a sincere desire in making funeral service the very best it could be for everyone.

Having grown up in the Adirondack Mountains, he loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter. Twice, he traveled to Africa to go on safaris.

Surviving are his daughters, Kristin Reed-McGaughey (James) of Riverhead and Erin Kaelin (Adam) of Southold; their mother, Madeline Grattan Altadonna of Calverton; siblings, Jane Reed and Peter Reed, both of Keene, and Joan Cahalin and Donna Reed-Austin; five grandchildren, Kiara Rhiannon McGaughey, Aislinn McGaughey, Jocelyn Kaelin, Shaelinn McGaughey and Skylar Kaelin; and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, Robert Douglas Reed.

The family will receive visitors Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Southold.

Funeral services will be held in his hometown of Keene, N.Y., at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at Keene Arts (formerly Keene Methodist Church), with viewing held one hour prior.

Interment, with U.S. Army honors, will follow at Norton Cemetery in Keene.

This is a paid notice.