Gerard (Jerry) Edward Reed Jr. passed away on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at the age of 82. He was born in Quincy Massachusetts on December 1, 1938 to Gerard Edward Reed Sr and Monica P. Reed, (both deceased).
Jerry grew up in Quincy with his only brother Jack and enjoyed all water activities while living close to the bay. He met the love of his life Margaret (Peggy) Amelia Reed while attending Archbishop Williams High School. He attended Saint Michaels College and earned a Bachelor’s in liberal arts and got his Masters’ Degree in Education at Boston University. After marrying Peggy, they moved to North Weymouth, Mass and started a family. As the family grew, he later relocated to Cohasset, Massachusetts.
He was a dedicated public-school teacher for 38 plus years beginning his career in Rockland and Hingham, and then spending most of his career in Quincy teaching English and History to Junior High School students and spending a third of his career teaching special needs students. Jerry was an intelligent, hard-working person who regularly took on extra jobs including adult education or part time sales to provide for his growing family. Towards the latter part of his teaching career, he worked part time in sales for a home remodeling store in Cohasset, called Mr. Beam. He sold kitchens, cast iron wood stoves, specialty lumber, and flooring. In 1982 he purchased Mr. Beam and along with his wife Peggy and part time help from his five kids managed the store until he finally retired at the age of 72. The legacy of that store continues under the leadership of his 3rd son William (Bill) John Reed and his wife Kim and is now called Dream Kitchens and More.
Even though he worked a lot, he balanced life with family activities. Jerry enjoyed camping in New Hampshire, spending time on his boat, fishing and water skiing with the kids or just speeding along the many lakes and bays in New England. He also found time to coach his kids in sports while they were small and spent time on the local school board. In his retirement years, he enjoyed spending time outdoors in New England in the summer and winters in Florida with Peggy and son John. He also traveled to San Diego to visit his son Jerry and family as well as his brother Jack in Arizona. Due to his long career as a teacher and his business ventures, Jerry often ran into former students and was always proud of how they turned out. He will be remembered as a guy who enjoyed being around people and especially the company of his kids and grandkids and was always ready for a barbecue or restaurant outing.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years Margaret (Peggy) Reed, his brother John (Jack) Nelson Reed of Phoenix Arizona, daughter Debra Ann Chaplin and her husband Jeff of Raynham, Massachusetts, son Gerard (Jerry) Reed III and partner Christine of San Diego, California, son Steven Patrick Reed and his wife Allison of Medway, Massachusetts, son William (Bill) John Reed and his wife Kim of Pembroke, Massachusetts, son John Michael Reed of Franklin Massachusetts and 9 grandchildren in order of age, Michael, Tyler, Noah, Daniel, Christina, Ashley, Kennedy, Sean, and Taylor.
Jerry will be placed in his final resting place at a private service at Beachwood Cemetery on Friday, March 26, 2021. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation PO Box 5014 Hagerstown 21741 or the Lewy Body Dementia Association , PO Box 600 Doylestown 18901.
Arrangements are under the care of the Ginley Funeral Home of Franklin (www.ginleyfuneralhomes.com).