A Celebration of Life for Wendell B. Reid, 91, of St Petersburg, FL will take place Tuesday, 1 to 3 pm, Sept. 1, at 1st Dance Studio, 5098 66th Street, St. Petersburg, 33709. All are welcome.
A warm, kind, gracious gentleman, Wendell Bud was a beloved husband and father, a builder, sailor, ballroom dancer, and dear friend. A native of Chicago, he was born to Richard Cromwell Reid and Irene Iva (Abbott) on November 19, 1923. He passed away peacefully August 17, 2015 at Largo Medical Center. He has been in the local area since 1978, when he moved here from Connecticut.
Wendell was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a lifetime member of the VFW, a member of the American Legion, and USA Dance, Inc. In his first year of military service, Wendell saw duty as a machinist aboard the USS Saratoga Aircraft Carrier in the Battle of Guadalcanal. After training at the submarine school in New London, CT, he served in the Pacific Theater aboard the USS Tautog, (The Terrible T), continuing after the war aboard the Sterlet and the Cusk. A photograph of Wendell and his silent service mates aboard The Terrible T is on permanent exhibit at the US Navy Submarine Force Museum in Groton, CT.
Nicknamed Windy as a boy, he grew up in Phoenix and Tucson, AZ, enlisting in the Navy in October, 1941. Honorably discharged in 1947, he moved to Hartford, CT, where educational programs were available to veterans. He later founded Nutmeg Homes, a successful residential construction company, in Manchester, CT. Inspired by a lifelong love of learning, Wendell mastered many new skills, which included learning to fly single-engine aircraft, U.S. Power Squadron boating certifications, and ballroom dancing. He owned power and sailboats for much of his life, finding adventure and tranquility cruising the Atlantic and Florida Gulf coasts, and the Intercoastal Waterway. An enthusiastic social dancer, he drew deep enjoyment from the music and people he met at local ballroom studios.
Wendell lived wholeheartedly, expecting the best while working to achieve it. He appreciated the beauty of a poem, the seamless finish of a carefully painted wooden hull, and the value of everyday experience. He preferred to let his accomplishments and deeds speak for themselves, believing that a higher purpose brings meaning to one’s life.
He is survived by his loving family; three daughters: Pamela Reid of New London, CT, Sheryl Reid Siegal of Suffield, CT, and Leslie Reid Roche and her husband, Jamie, of Ellington, CT; two sons: Kevin Reid of Manchester, CT and Glenn Reid and his wife, Lisa Rae, of St. Petersburg, FL; five grandchildren: Emerald, Jamie, Danny, Krystal, Samantha, Erik; and one great grandchild, Armani. He was predeceased by his loving wife of 38 years, Marilyn (Lovett).
His remains will be a scattered at sea with full military honors aboard a US Navy vessel.
Veterans Funeral Care
727-524-9202
Please accept our sincere condolences on Wendell’s passing. Wendell was a special man who was beloved by our mom for several years before her death in 2007. Wendell brought so much happiness to her life and I think all of her kids would agree that the last few years of her life with Wendell were some of her happiest days. She had always loved to dance and ball room dancing with Wendell was the highlight of her life.
The family of Juanita Gose