Lawrence Haley Reed, 78, of Walpole, passed away on the morning of March 14, 2024, after a very brief illness. Larry was born on Sept. 24, 1945 in Damariscotta, to Cecil H. Reed and Lillian Frances Haley.
Larry was raised in Damariscotta, attending Castner Grammar School and graduating from Lincoln Academy in Newcastle with the class of 1963. He remained friends with his classmates and celebrated his 60th reunion in 2023. After high school he continued his education at Maine College of Art in Portland.
He entered the U.S. Army in 1965 and was sent to Vietnam where he was a member of a reconnaissance platoon in the Central Highlands. He was wounded in a firefight on March 17, 1966 and awarded the Purple Heart. After returning to the states, he was stationed at Fort Ord, Calif. until his honorable discharge.
After returning home he worked for the Chamber of Commerce in Portland for many years as director of tourism development. While at the chamber he attended the University of Delaware’s Institute for Organizational Management. His employment career ended with a stint at the U.S. Postal Service. He owned and managed rental properties in Portland until retiring to Walpole in 2009 and beginning a new and happy chapter there.
With his wife Terri, he enjoyed restoring an old farmhouse and spending many happy hours antiquing the coast of Maine and driving their collection of old cars. He was passionate about family history; being a direct descendant of Col. Andrew Reed, of Boothbay Harbor, who was instrumental in establishing the first permanent settlement there. On the Haley side he was descended from Andrew Haley, of the Isle of Shoals, who settled there in the early 1600s and operated a cod fishery sending salted cod back to England at a great profit. He was a proud descendant of seven Mayflower passengers through his grandmother Reed, all documented by his cousin, Diane Young Hicks.
Larry is survived by his wife, Terri Mitchell Reed; and so many wonderful family members and decades long friends too numerous to mention.
A celebration of life gathering for Larry will be held from 3-5 p.m., on Friday, May 17, 2024 at the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home in Damariscotta. He will be laid to rest privately in the West Bristol Cemetery in Walpole.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for his family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
