"I was not sure this was the Jim Reid I knew whilst he resided briefly in Vancouver BC in that overpriced West End basement suite. Bit as soon as I read his obit , I knee it was Jim. He and I met in John Barleys, a gay night club , and struck up s friendship. We had some shared adventures with another University Professor named Temple Maynard to whom I introduced him. He told mr fascinating stories of his life in Kenya during the Dictatorship of Arap Moi. One of the stories was of how elementary students had a storybook of what a wonderful person Arap Moi supposeflt was. He unfortunately could not find employment in Vancouver,. He did however find a position in a small college town , in Pawnee County , where he was hoping to own some property. Once I flew down to Richardson Texas for a Nortel training course . He drove to my Hotel , just to ssy hello to a good friend. I unfortunstely lost track of him few years later. I had always wondered if Dr James Reid of Washington State was him , but his public information as a University Professor did not provide enough information for me to find that out. I do misd Jim and his very friendly demeanour.He was not just a friend , but a great asset to the community. / Markku Vuorensivu - Retired Telecommunications Technician. South Surrey BC. "
In loving memory of
James Hugh Reid
April 20, 1946 - August 29, 2016
James Hugh Reid -1946 to 2016
James(Jim) died unexpectedly on August 29, 2016 at his home in Seattle at the age of 70. He was born in London, England on April 20, 1946, the first child of Walter and Patricia Reid, and older brother to George (deceased) and Andrew. In the early 1950's the family moved out of London to Hampshire.
James did extremely well at all the schools he attended, collecting academic prizes left, right and centre. Aged 11 he won a scholarship to the prestigious St Edward's School, Oxford. While there he developed his musical talent for playing the piano, cello and organ. In 1963, he won a further scholarship to Keble College, Oxford (Oxford University) to study physics. After Oxford, came a Masters in Physics at Sussex University and then in 1970 he moved to Calgary, Canada to start a PhD, again in Physics. In 1973 he completed his PhD on "Non-Leptonic Weak Processes"!??
Subsequent years found James in a variety of Universities and countries/states including Kenya, Germany, Oklahoma finally settling in Seattle, Washington. It was here that he bought his house and met his beloved partner Warren. Together, they enjoyed their years of domesticity until Warren's untimely death in 2013. They shared a love of classical music, food and many trips to the "home-away-from-home" near Lake Tyee, Concrete. Warren's daughter, Liz, often accompanied them on these trips and James referred to himself as "the other daddy". After Warren's death, this bond between Liz and James continued to grow and develop. She had a very special place in his heart. James was also extremely grateful to Linda who gave him tremendous support, both familial and practical, especially in the last 3 years.
He loved his work as a lecturer at the Dept of Physics, University of Washington as well as at the North Seattle College. He was passionate about physics and loved to teach. He was also very knowledgeable in many areas, in particular horticulture. He spent hours selecting bulbs and delighted in his garden, every trip back home to England would involve visits to famous gardens. He leaves behind his brother, Andrew, and Andrew's family, wife Philippa, their children Phoebe and Christopher, his "other family" Linda and Elizabeth, as well as numerous work colleagues and friends.
Tributes
"It was an honor to know Jim for the past 4 years, he was a great friend and wonderful guy."
"Rest peacefully Jim. It was nice to know you and thank you for always keeping me in your thoughts. You will be remembered."
"Jim was an amazing and unique individual; always ready to share his life and experiences with others. He was steadfastly upbeat and resolute in looking for the best in people. He will be very much missed. "
"I just heard of Jims passing and extend my condolences to all of his family, friends and extended friends all over the world-i had three wonderful trips to seattle, both at his home and up in the mountains. We also communicated frequently on line- i always appreciated his humor, creativity, and the friends that surrounded him. In fact i had planned a trip out there for this summer-just didnt make it in time-would have loved to have been with him one last time--i would have been at the funeral had i found out in time. Again condolences to all on the loss of a very human great freind--rick"
"Devon Saggers"
"I knew Jim since 2010 and he was kind, loving and generous man, may he rest in peace."
"Jim was a wonderful person with a big heart and he will be missed. I had the honor of getting to know him through dinner outings, spending Christmas Eve together, and little road trips here and there with my brother Clark and Jim. Rest in Peace."
"Jim will be deeply be missed. who was my best friend for 7 years. I was beside him for 4 month after he lost his parther warren . I put my life on hold for him during that time who is a good friend in need and I supported him. remember the good times we had Christmas Eve four years in a row at my parents house the trip we took to Oregon with my mother and my sister for the January Jazz festival. to our day trips and overnight trips to the mountains. my good friend Jim will never be forgotten I never all the weekends we hung out and went for dinner. he was a mentor I'll never forget the things he taught me "
"Jim Reid was an outgoing, cheerful and friendly colleague for many years, and I will miss him greatly. We had many wonderful conversations about physics (both of us began our careers as theoretical particle physicists), teaching physics, the history of physics, and about England. It seemed he had recovered from a serious leg infection this summer, so it was an absolute shock to hear of his recent passing. Jim could always be counted on, and always kept a happy outlook, two things that humanity could use more of. Rest in peace, Jim."
"Having been a TA for Dr. Reid over multiple years, I was deeply sorrowful to learn of his passing. He was a strong educator and had an immense passion for both sharing his knowledge and learning more about the natural world. He had an additional tremendous capacity for history and language, music and the arts, and I will certainly miss our many conversations. His absence in the office across from mine will be sincerely noted. "
"We always enjoyed hearing Jim's stories about his past, both his personal stories and stories about his research. And he was always interested in learning about our research and family. We will miss sharing these stories and running into him before and after lectures. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Jim's family."
"And a very special condolence to his best friend Clark. Jim and Clark spent much time and had great adventures together. Jim often mentioned how much he appreciated Clark's friendship and particularly his support after Warren's passing. "
"I've been fortunate to enjoy a close friendship with Jim for almost 20 years and will miss him greatly. He had such amazing stories and experiences to share. Jim was kind and welcoming to so many. I share my condolences with his all his various families and friends."
"Michael A. Morgan"
"Frank Deering"
"Dr. Reid was an exceptional instructor, not only due to his pedagogy but also because of his friendliness and general demeanor. At least one former student will miss him dearly. "
"My heartfelt sorrow and condolences go out to Jim's family. I will surely miss his presence, a truly loveable and kind person. "
"Ryan Wagner"