Dallas, TX - Joseph Howard Reed was born June 15, 1930, in Medford, OK, to Harold D. Reed and Verna Lee (Elder) Reed. He died May 28, 2026.

Joe was raised in Medford where he led the football team to a state championship and graduated in 1948. He then attended Oklahoma State University, where he was in Sigma Nu and ROTC, and received his B.S. degree.

Joe met Paula Sue Nyswonger at OSU, and the two were wed in Oklahoma City on December 20, 1952.

Joe was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and served in the Korean War. With 30 years in the U.S. Army, he rose to the rank of Colonel and also Brigadier General in the Oklahoma National Guard. He studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he received his Juris Doctorate Law Degree.

He and Paula moved to Medford, OK, in 1957. Joe was President of the Grant County Bank, and they both were active members of the First Christian Church. He was an avid traveler, reader, and lover of history.

In 2021, Joe and Paula moved from their long-term home in Medford to a retirement community in Dallas to be closer to their children and grandson. Joe cherished those five years in Dallas because he was surrounded by his close family for the first time since his children's childhoods. Joe said many times that those last five years were some of the best in his life. After Paula had a stroke in 2023, Joe was a loving and supportive husband, spending hours holding her hand, reading to her, and taking her on walks around the community.

Joe was preceded in death by his parents and sister Joann Bramlett. He is survived by his wife, Paula; children Jason Howard Reed and Renee Suzanne Reed; and grandson Grant Thurman Bliss Reed. All reside in Dallas, TX.

A service will be held in Medford, OK, at a future date. Cards may be sent to Paula Reed, 3535 N. Hall St., Apt. 109, Dallas, TX 75219. Donations on Joe's behalf can be made to the First Christian Church at 123 W. Pawnee Street, Medford, OK 73759.