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Richard "Dick" S. C. Reid, 95, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 27, 2011. He is survived by his loving daughter, Marion Reid and husband, Chris Brooks, of Boulder, CO; devoted son, Richard S. Reid of Arlington, VA; and grandson, Sgt. Adam C. Reid, USMC, of North Carolina. Other surviving family includes his sister, Eleanor Fetters of Michigan, and a multitude of nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 51 years, Sydney Bryan Reid; his siblings, Conrad, George, and Alice. Born February 18, 1916 in Washington, DC, Richard's family moved to a farm in Port Deposit, MD where he helped on the farm with his brothers and sisters, and then attended Tome Prep School. He earned his Bachelor's degree at the University of Maryland where he was active in the Army ROTC. Then, like so many of the "Greatest Generation", he joined the US Army at the beginning of World War II and went to Ft. Benning, GA for basic training. He then joined the Army Air Corps and trained as a fighter pilot. He fought valiantly for his country, flying a P47 fighter over war torn Europe, and on one occasion had to bail out of his burning aircraft over Nazi occupied France. He spent 63 days evading the enemy before being reunited with allied forces. After the war and a brief career with American Airlines, Richard became an Air Traffic Controller in Washington, DC in 1953, and was a true pioneer of the profession. In 1958 he moved his family to Albuquerque where he finished his career as a controller and retired in 1976. A resident of the city for 63 years, Dick was an avid outdoorsman and loved spending his spare time hiking and camping throughout New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. He hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon many times, well into his sixties, and made countless exploratory trips in the Sandia Mountains with his good friend, Royce Fletcher. He was also an accomplished tennis player, and won many senior doubles tournaments throughout the Southwest. Dick was a long time member of the NM Mountain Club leading many hikes and backpacks with the organization including a weekly walk for seniors every Saturday morning. He also volunteered for Meals on Wheels, drove cancer patients to their treatment appointments, and was quite active with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, sponsoring several little "brothers". In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the veterans support organization or charity of your choice. Richard will be interred at Santa Fe National Cemetery, and a celebration of his life is scheduled for April 2, 2011 in Albuquerque from 2:00 til 5:00 p.m., at Casa Rondena Winery, 733 Chavez Road NW. Parking is limited at Casa Rondena, please consider carpooling; overflow parking is available on nearby Taft Street. Please visit our online guestbook for Arthur at www.RememberTheirStory.com FRENCH 1111 University Blvd. NE (505) 843-6333
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