Donald E. Reed Obituary
Donald E. "Dan" Reed, 63, of Essex, husband of Kathleen (Moynahan) Reed, passed away very unexpectedly at his home on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Dan was born on April 9, 1959, and was the son of the late Everett and Donna Reed.
Dan changed the lives of his family, friends, and all whom he touched with his unparalleled kindness, generosity, and warmth. He described himself as a builder, but his work was truly a polished craft that delivered livable art. He amazed clients, family, and friends with his ability to hear their ideas and create a vision, and then work with his hands to transform cold materials into warm spaces that let people enjoy their homes and lives more than they had before. He was a generous and patient teacher, able to explain a process or technique such that the learner only felt improved by his lesson and never embarrassed to ask a question. Dan was extremely proud to work alongside his stepson, Ryan, and he treasured their time together. He enjoyed boating, a good cigar, jokes, his New Year's Day annual poker game, teasing and being teased while serving up bottomless meals and refreshments on the patio. He challenged nephews to Klondike bar eating contests (never letting them win) and let his nieces select a treasured antique trinket of their choice from his collection. He was boundlessly generous with his time, skills, and home. Everything he loved doing, he loved doing with others.
He is survived by his loving wife, Kathy; his three children of whom he was very proud, Sasha and her partner Charles, Bryan and his wife, Pearl, and his daughter, Kayla. He is lovingly survived by his stepson, RJ and his wife, Meghan, and his stepson, Ryan, and his wife Jaimie. He is survived by his two grandchildren, Cassie, and Tiger. He leaves his brother, Sonny, brother, Barry and his wife, Amy, Scott and his fiancé, Nancy, and his sister, Vanessa and her life partner, Rick. He leaves behind his mothers-in-law, Elaine Moynahan and Estelle Waters; his brother-in law, John Waters; his Moynahan clan family Kelly, Stephen, Katie, Matthew, Brendan and his wife, October, Seana and her husband, Victor, Maura and her husband, Aaron, and Michael as well as his cherished nieces and nephews, Jake, Sam, Mikayla, Maegan, Stephen III, Maille, Finn, Elias, Hugo (his little buddy), Isla, and River. He leaves too many friends behind to name all of whom he loved dearly.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Edie, and fathers-in-law, Stephen A. Moynahan Jr. and William "Bill" Waters.
Visiting hours will be held in the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, from 5-7 pm. Family and friends are cordially invited to a reception to be held immediately afterward.
