Leonard Bert Reed Sr.

Leonard Bert Reed Sr., born July 1, 1929, passed away peacefully on September 14, 2026 at the age of 97.  His long life was defined by the endless joy he found in his family, his friends, and his faith.

Len was born in St. Louis Missouri to Harry and Margaret Reed.  He married his high school sweetheart, Betty, in 1950 and they moved to Cincinnati in 1957, where they made a life together, wrangling their four boys and establishing multigenerational family friendships that have continued to endure for almost 70 years.

Len was an active member of Groesbeck United Methodist Church and was one of the founders of a men’s prayer group that he attended nearly every Monday morning for more than 60 years.

For over 20 years Len was a leader in the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. He loved spending time outdoors, and he treasured the time he spent camping and boating with his family— as well as with the collection of families known simply as the “Camping Group” that spent countless Sundays, holidays, weekends, and vacations together.

Len’s professional life was spent selling industrial products to the shoe manufacturing industry throughout the United States. For many years, he was president of the Shoe and Leather Club of Cincinnati.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty (Stewart), with whom he spent 49 happy and devoted years until her passing.  He then found love and partnership a second time and was married to Janet Reed for 21 years until she, too, passed.  Len was also preceded in death by his son Matthew, by his daughter-in-law Cynthia, and by his brother Harry.

Len is survived by three sons, Leonard Reed, Jr., Phillip (Jan) Reed, and Timothy (Lynn) Reed, along with the grandchildren from whom he derived so much joy: Nathan Reed, Julie (Donnie) Torres, Michael (Carrie) Reed, Hana (Cody) Voight, Ellie (Quinn Fenlon) Reed, Amy Reed, and David Reed. He also leaves behind his great-grandchildren, Cynthia Torres, Daniel Torres, Luciana Reed, Devlin Reed, Eamon Voight, and Artemisia Voight. He is also survived by his beloved bonus daughter, Julie (Jeff) Turner.

Visitation will be held on Monday, October 19, 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the Arlington Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 2155 Compton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231 (follow the BLUE line). The funeral service will take place at 11:00 AM and burial will follow at noon.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Saint Judes Children’s Research Hospital or the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired, two organizations that meant a great deal to Len.