John Elwin Reid VI of rural Denton, NE, was called to Heaven on March 6, 2016. He passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. He was born to John “Jack” Elwin IV and Virginia (McElyea) Reid on July 9, 1939, in Hay Springs, NE and is an alumnus of Hay Springs High School.
John moved to Lincoln and began work as an electrician at Tiny’s Electric then moved to LES and worked there for 33 years beginning as a lineman and retiring as the Safety Director. He continued his safety career at the City of Lincoln as Safety and Training Coordinator. He received a key to the City of Lincoln and “John Reid Day” was declared by the Mayor on January 7, 2005. During his career, he was a 25+ year member of American Society of Safety Engineers and served as chair and president during his tenure and received the ASSE Safety Professional of the Year Award four times and was named an Emeritus Member. He received the Nebraska Safety Council’s (NSC) John J. Siefkes Award and was named to the NSC Hall of Fame.
John rarely stood still and after retirement joined Sesostris Shrine and led the Little Cars Unit in parades throughout southeast Nebraska for several years. He also served as President of the Road Runners Unit and was named Roadrunner of the Year in 2014, and enjoyed his trips to Minneapolis to take families to the Shrine Hospital for medical services. John was also very involved with the American Heart Association serving as a CPR Trainer and Instructor Trainer, was also a long-time American Red Cross Trainer and Volunteer at Husker football games and was a lifetime member of Post 0354 American Legion in Pleasant Dale (PD). He was a Master Mason, TeamMate, coached the PD softball team when his girls played, and was a member of the PD Fire Department. He served as a church council member for Zion Lutheran Church, taught Sunday School, and chaired the Building Committee.
John was a loving husband and father, and enjoyed his grandchildren and great grandchildren so very much. He and Aralyis took all of their grandchildren on summer trips to KC, on fishing trips and to learn to camp. He would say he was a jack of all trades, master of none, but his family would disagree. If it was broke, he could fix it and as an electrician was called on by many for his electrical expertise. He was always willing to help with whatever needed to be done. He was a life-long learner and a teacher to everyone he came in contact with. We will miss him dearly, but know he has a chair in Heaven and it will no longer hurt his tailbone to sit on it.
John is survived by wife Aralyis (Rauscher), daughters Linda (Greg) Henderson, Rhonda (Randy) Page, Jodi (Loren) Johnson, and step-sons Hal (Charity) Esquivel, and Alec (Michele) Esquivel; sisters Nancy (Harold) Linville, Trudy (George) Varvel, Theresa (Ron) Coulter; brother-in-law Dwane (Laura) Rauscher and sister-in-law Elaine (David) Dirksen; 14 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews and many, many friends.
John is preceded in death by his parents, brother John Elwin Reid V, and sister Lorna McIntyre.
Family visitation on March 11, 2016, 5:30-7:00 pm, at Trump Memorial Chapel, 1600 West “O” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, cremation.
Celebration of Life service on March 12, 2016, 11 am, Zion Lutheran Church, 2244 NW 126th Street, Lincoln, NE. John’s ashes will be buried at Hay Springs Cemetery with his parents and the rest of the John E. Reid family members. Memorials in lieu of flowers to Zion Lutheran Church or Sesostris Shrine, 1050 Saltillo Rd, Roca, NE 68430.
Honorary pallbearers – Grandchildren and great grandchildren – Ryan Blythe, Amber Hauder, Brittany Hauder, Rodger Page, Reagan Johnson, Rhett Page, Nicole Johnson, Rachel Page, Ike, Avery, Nora, Violet, John and Eva Esquivel, Collin and Roslyn Blythe.