WESTFIELD: James Reed, 67, was born in Westfield, MA on May 28th, 1954, and passed on March 14th, 2022. He was a father, lifelong farmer, good neighbor, and friend. Miriam Reed raised James and his older siblings on the farm, and truth be told, anyone who stayed on the farm long enough to listen. Life wasn’t always easy on the farm, and in between working at home and attending Westfield Vocational High School, James worked at Fila’s farm baling hay and tending the Hereford cows. In June of 1972 after studying at Westfield Voc, James graduated from the machining program and pursued that trade for a few years before going to work at Zielinski Brothers in Agawam. At Zielinski’s he sharpened his skills, hauling coal, operating equipment, repairing equipment and welding. Eventually he went on to start his own trucking company from the ground up, and then later transitioned into excavation. He was not afraid to get his hands dirty, he was known to be able to fix just about anything, and if he didn’t know how he would make sure to learn. He enjoyed teaching others his vast variety of skills. When he wasn’t working in the field, he would work on the farm. Whether it was plucking rocks from the hay fields or sawing and planing lumber there was always something to do, maintain or improve. In between work he enjoyed family dinners and especially enjoyed the large family reunions. He loved to keep in touch with all of his relatives, visiting those who lived far away, making time for them during his very rare vacations. James was known for being a talented perfectionist, he was humble and a quick-witted problem solver. He always sought to save his customers money by being efficient and conscientious, and in doing so built a respected business and reputation from the ground up. He had long standing relationships with local companies and never took the work he did for granted. The words “good enough” were not in his vocabulary, he would only accept excellent quality work from himself, his employees, and especially his son.
He built strong lifelong friendships with many of his neighbors in Wyben, Westfield and across Western Massachusetts. He supported many local organizations, especially The Westfield Fair, which he loved to attend. Despite his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in January of 2021, he continued to work throughout the year both on the job and on the farm, which is a testament to his willpower and strength. Throughout his journey with cancer there were many friends and neighbors that stepped up to help him, and he was incredibly grateful for their help and friendship, it meant the world to him.
He was predeceased by his mother and father Miriam Reed and Raymond Reed. He leaves his son Jacob Reed, aunt Edna Borges, siblings, Sandra Fogg, Raymond Reed and Mary Johnson, Donna and Dean Speth, John Reed and Loretta Rogers-Reed, Barbara Towle and many cousins, nieces and nephews of multiple generations and sides of the family.
Calling hours will be held on Monday, March 21st, from 5-8 pm at the Firtion-Adams Funeral Service, 76 Broad Street. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 22nd, at 12 noon in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 60 Broad Street. Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mike Rowe Works Foundation (https://www.mikeroweworks.org/donate/) in support of scholarships for young people wanting to enter the trades. Firtionadams.com
