Birth Date: 04/17/1940
Deceased Date: 12/27/2022
James E. Reed (Jim), age 82, passed away peacefully on December 27, 2022. He was a dedicated husband of 59 years to his beloved wife, Janice Marie Wiggs Reed. He is survived by his wife and two sons, Jefferson (Jennifer) and Jonathan (Leslie). He is also survived by his five grandchildren, Jessica, Adam, Daniel, Zachary, and Wil Reed, as well as his two sisters, Joyce Long of Ohio and Jan (Daniel) Barnett of Maine, and many nieces and nephews.
Jim was born April 17, 1940 in New Albany, Indiana. He grew up in Evansville, Indiana and embraced the lifestyle of living on the river, where he developed his passion for authentic steamboats, which he later passed on to his wife and sons with their annual attendance at the Sons & Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen Regatta in Marietta, Ohio.
After graduating from Bosse High School in 1958, Jim enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as an aviation mechanic. During his enlistment, he was stationed in Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He was also stationed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where he met a beautiful young woman who made a wonderful subject for his camera. He married his bride in June of 1963 and continued capturing her beauty on countless rolls of film throughout their life together. His photographic talents extended to a side business in wedding photography and videography later in his career.
Jim and Janice eventually settled in Raleigh, NC in 1971, where they raised their sons. Jim worked as a clerk for NCR, Amoco Oil, N.C. State University, and the North Carolina Insurance Commission. Always wanting to be where the action is, Jim worked second jobs as usher at Reynolds Coliseum and Carter-Finley Stadium. Through these events and others, he was able to meet and/or photograph many famous dignitaries, such as Ronald Reagan, Jim Valvano, Colonel Sanders, Charles Barkley, Junior Johnson and numerous others. Jim also enjoyed attending NASCAR races, where he met and photographed many drivers over the years, including his favorite, Richard Petty.
Jim was a skilled mechanic who engineered solutions using unorthodox materials long before MacGyver. After Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification project, rural residents were disposing of their old crank telephones. Jim drove out into the country and collected all the old phones he could find and used them to wire his neighborhood so all his neighbors could communicate by phone. Jim also bought an old Model T Ford and restored it. This became his everyday car as a high school student in the 1950s. Jim possessed natural musical talent. He gravitated toward jazz music and played the cornet. He was requested frequently to play “Taps” at the funerals of soldiers. Jim created quite a legacy that will live on, and he will be greatly missed.
The family will receive visitors at Parrish Funeral Home in Selma, NC, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2022. A funeral service will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel. Burial will take place after the service in Selma Memorial Gardens.
