John Joseph Reid

REID, John Joseph

November 1, 1928 – December 4, 2022

It’s with profound sadness that John (a.k.a. Jack) Reid’s family announces his passing at age 94 at Glengarry Hospital in Victoria, B.C. on December 4, 2022 following a long illness. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, where he first met Catherine, his wife of 68 years, at Saturday night dances at St. Mungo’s church, John was a respected telegraphist by trade, inspired by his father’s successful career as an exporter with William Collins, Sons publishing company. Starting as an office boy with the Press Association, John worked steadily as a printer until he retired at age 75. His career included work as a teletype setter, typographer, proofreader and compositor, with jobs at Glasgow’s The Times, Daily Express and Daily Record before immigrating in 1964 to Canada. He raised his family in Brantford, Montreal and Windsor, Ontario, before moving to Toronto, Calgary and Victoria with his beloved wife. John’s extensive career included stints at The Brantford Expositor, The Montreal Star, The Windsor Star and Bowne and Co. Although known for his strong work ethic, John was a devoted father who valued annual family holidays despite limited finances and lack of an automobile, packing the family onto Greyhound buses and renting cottages throughout New England. An avid Glasgow Celtics fan with an enduring sense of humour, John took great pride in his Scottish heritage and was a loquacious storyteller, jazz lover, hopeless romantic and joker whose playfulness was matched by a stubborn streak. John was predeceased by his parents Jack and Elizabeth; siblings Jim, Joseph, Kathleen, Lily, Rosemary and Maria, and survived by his brother Liam. He is survived by his wife Catherine; his children Michael (Kathryn) Reid, Joseph (Anne) Reid, Margaret (Michael) Lincoln and Anne-Marie O’Donnell; grandchildren Erika, Jacqueline, Aine, Brendan, Gillian, Matthew, William, Elise and Hannah, and cherished nieces and nephews. Funeral service Dec. 9, 1 p.m., at St. Andrew’s Cathedral. Private family burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Glengarry Hospital to reflect our gratitude to its amazing staff of caregivers.