Bernie Howard Reed

April 28, 1928 ~ December 2, 2009

Bernie Howard Reed passed away Wednesday, December 2, 2009 in Blanding, UT due to natural causes.

He was born on the family farm in rural Wheatridge, CO on April 28, 1928 to Everett and Nellie Reed. 

The family later moved to Adams City, CO where his dad had a feed store.  Bernie helped his dad with the 100 pound sacks of grain most days, and that helped make him strong. 

In high school, he was a jock and excelled in basketball, track and football.  He got a sports scholarship and attended Denver University for two years before he married Florence Moore. 

They had four children (Christy, Janet, Craig and Miles) and lived in the Denver area and later Palmer Lake, CO.  After their children were raised, Bernie and Florence divorced.  He later married his best friend, Sylvia Kemner, and spent the rest of his life with her.  Bernie loved all of his family dearly.

Bernie’s life’s work was mainly in sales, with sporting goods companies, which also enabled him to participate in some of the other loves of his life (fishing and hunting). 

Bernie also loved to shoot and won many awards while shooting trap.  It also helped when he hunted. It was rare that he missed where he aimed! 

During his younger years, he raced boats on many of the lakes and rivers of CO, UT and AZ, and he got many awards for that.  He also loved (with a passion) to fly and got his private license when he was 16.  Bernie also loved animals and always had dogs, cats and usually horses.  He won many awards in field trial with his Labrador Retrievers and also raised Greyhounds for the track when he was younger.

Bernie and Sylvia moved to Blanding in 1985 because he fell in love with the area and Lake Powell, and serious knee problems made it hard to live at Palmer Lake, which is very cold and snowy during the winters. 

He met and became fast friends with many people in the area who shared his love of hunting and fishing, and he got a lot of both in.  Bernie was a very giving person and loved to help people any way he could and did so until his health would no longer allow it.  Bernie worked hard and played hard over the years and had close and enduring friendships no matter where he was.

Bernie is survived by his wife Sylvia; children Christy Liverant Zachary, Janet (Dave) Weed and Miles (Mary Kay) Reed; grandchildren David (Shay) Liverant, Bret Liverant, Andrea (Wayne) Liverant Shepard, Lauren (Richard) Weed Smothers, Valerie Weed and Will Weed); great-grandchildren Candice Liverant, Austin Liverant, Parker Shepard and Gabbie Smothers - and there are two more on the way.  He is also survived by brother Everett Reed, sister Alma Shaffer, and many nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by a father, Everett Reed; mother, Nellie Reed; sister, Bonnie Rosier; and son, Craig.

Card of thanks
The family of Bernie Reed wish to express their thanks to everyone who has been so supportive, giving, loving and kind during this difficult time.  There really aren’t the words to express how much we appreciate all that was done.

Our special thanks to Dr. Val Jones for his friendship and compassion and loving care of Bernie over the years.  We also thank the other doctors, nurses and wonderful professionals who cared for Bernie during his many illnesses of the past few years.

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