Ronald Douglas "Ron" Reed, 76, of Pace, FL, stepped into eternity on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, with his family by his side after a hard-fought eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. No more sorrow, no more pain.

Ron's birth on Monday, November 17, 1946, in Los Angeles, CA delighted his parents, Paul E and Eula Pearce Reed. The family, after two cross country moves, finally settles in his mother's hometown, Cairo, GA. Ron graduated from Cairo High School in 1964, and fondly remembered his participation in football and baseball. The friendships he enjoyed in youth he maintained through the years. His nicknames included Ronnie and Seaweed. The latter high school nickname appears prescient as he and his young family landed on the great Gulf Coast of Florida more than 48 years ago after a transfer to Pensacola by the former, Davis Meter and Supply. Ron attended Georgia Southern and served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Conflict stationed at Clark Air Base and spending off hours with his buddies at Blue Beach.

Ron loved to hunt (deer, turkey, dove) and fish. He could enjoy both freshwater and saltwater fishing along the coast, though crappie fishing was his favorite. Ron and his wife, Sheila Kirkland, married in 1972, raising three sons. Ron shared his love of the outdoors with his sons. He carried them from young ages hunting and fishing, sharing with them skills he knew so well, but more importantly, teaching them the safety required in the various activities. Gun safety classes were a must. Ron's excitement over his sons' wins in skeet shoots, sport games, and fishing, trumped his own.

Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Eula Reed; his brother, Phillip M. Reed; his paternal grandparents, Earl Reed and Mossie Reed; and his maternal grandparents, Howard Pearce and Olga Pearce and several cousins.

Ron is survived by his wife, Sheila Kirkland Reed; his sons, Michael Chad Reed (fiancée, Jill Boykin), Christopher Ryan Reed (Donna), and Mark Reed. He was delighted to be Grandpa to three granddaughters (girls, girls, we have girls), the Little Misses: Jillian, Savanna and Mallory and he was a proud Grandpa to Aza and Carson Boykin. Ron is survived by his California family, Wesley and Sharon Reed and family of Thousand Oaks; Cheryl Reed of Thousand Oaks; Robin Reed of Los Angeles, CA; Honeybee Hyatt of Newport Beach and Mick Avidiya of Troy, Montana.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, November 18, 2023, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, with his brother-in-law, Rev. Michael R. Griffin, Sr. officiating. A private interment was held on November 7, 2023, at Barrancas National Cemetery on Pensacola NAS.

For those wishing to watch Ron's service live stream, please click the following link: https://my.gather.app/remember/ron-reed

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity he supported: Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675-8516.