Reed, Douglas E.

Douglas E. Reed, 85, of Floyd, passed away Thursday, February 21, 2008, following a long illness. He was a retired pastor of Parkway Church of the Brethren on Buffalo Mountain Road in Floyd County, which he served between 1974 until 1997. During that period he was active in both church and community affairs, including the Floyd Ruritan Club and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He also retired from the Floyd Post Office in July 1982 with 36 years of service, including nine years as a post office clerk and 27 years as a rural route mail carrier.

During World War II, he was a member of Merrill’s Marauders, a unit of Army volunteers sent behind enemy lines in Burma to destroy Japanese supply lines and communications. According to the unit’s web site, “no other American force anywhere had marched as far, fought as continuously or had to display such endurance as the swift-moving, hard-hitting foot soldiers of Merrill’s Marauders.” Until recent years, he was an avid hunter and fisherman and spent many days with family and friends on Claytor Lake.

Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Twila Reed of Floyd; sons and daughters-in-law, Rodney M. and Sherry Reed and Robert E. and Debbie Reed, all of Floyd; daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Don Johnson, of Floyd; brother and sister-in-law, Marvin G. and Lynette Reed, of Christiansburg; sisters, Frances Cannaday, of Christiansburg, and Patsy Baltz, of Richmond; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, February 24, 2008, at the Maberry Funeral Home Chapel, Floyd, with the Rev. Vinton Quesenberry and the Rev. Danny Gilley officiating. Interment will follow at Topeco Cemetery with Military Rites by Floyd VFW Post #7854 and American Legion Post #127.

Friends may call after 11 a.m. Saturday, February 23, 2008, at Maberry Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Floyd VFW Post #7854, c/o David Poff, 6246 Floyd Highway N., Check, Va. 24072 or Parkway Church of the Brethren, c/o Dale Bowman, 662 Max Mountain Road, Indian Valley, Va. 24105.