Gaylon E. Reed

Funeral service is 2 p.m. Thursday, March 3rd, at Cornerstone Baptist Church, Decatur, Texas with Reverend Alvis Edmondson officiating. Burial will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. Family will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home.

Pallbearers include Wayne Boydston, Kip Boydston, Shawn Burton, Blake Sandford, Bobby Washburn and Randy Washburn.

Honorary pallbearers include Bert Caraway, J.E. Carson, Farrell Fisher, Chad Harvey, Willard Howell, Buddy Jackson, Hollis Jones, Dr. Tom Long, Chuck Norton, and Sam Renshaw. Gaylon was born on August 28, 1919, to Gene and Beulah Reed in Lometa, Texas. The youngest of six children, Gaylon was a strong-willed and determined child. After high school, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Air Force and served 7 years, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant. His unit was the 20th Bomber Command and was stationed in India and on Tinian Island. Being a flight engineer, many trips were made over the Alps during WWII on a B-29 bomber. After the war, he came home and married Sue Burton on January 22, 1946.

Gaylon became a successful building contractor, building many homes and over 50 churches in Colorado, Kansas and Texas. He was an avid golfer. He golfed his age over 700 times and made 7 holes in one. Being a real outdoorsman - he enjoyed fishing and hunting. He got his outfitter's license to hunt elk and went on many hunting trips to Colorado.

Survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Sue Reed; three daughters: Merlene Walker and husband, Steve Gold, of Arlington, Sharon Manfred and husband, Bob, of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Rayelynn Dady and husband, Glenn of Dallas; son, Craig Reed and wife, Rose of Decatur; eight grandchildren: Amanda, Nathan, Rachel, Andrea, Wendy, Chris, Brent, and Tyler; and nine great grandchildren, Davis, Dawson, Dominique, Blake, Avery, Madison, Malachi, Rachel, Eliana, and Isaiah.

Gaylon was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters.

Family requests memorials be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 101 Summit Avenue, Suite 300, Fort Worth, Texas 76102.

Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home 940/627-5959

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Aunt Sue and family,

We are so sorry for the loss of Uncle Gaylon. I remember him helping build the house when I was a kid and coming to see y'all in Decatur. I have many photos of hunting in Colorado. He will be dearly missed. I thank God that his suffering is over as I am a nurse in an Alzheimer's unit and know how cruel the disease can be. Remember he loved you dearly and now has his memory back, healed forever. I am truly sorry we could not be there, but we are all thinking of you. God Bless and we love you.

Kimberly Reed Gosnell, Kennith, Kyle and Kolton Jack

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