In Remembrance: David H. Reed ’57 Died on January 24 2025

David H. Reed passed away on January 24, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona, after a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.

A resident of Branford College and a human culture and behavior major, Dave began his business career as a commercial lending officer with the Bank of New York before joining the bank’s petroleum division. In 1970, he left the bank and embarked on a career as an executive recruiter with Booz Allen in New York, from which he transferred to Chicago as a management consultant. In 1980, he and a partner from Booz Allen founded an executive compensation consulting firm, which in 1986 they sold to Marsh McLennan, and where he remained until 1989. After leaving Marsh McLennan he joined the First National Bank of Chicago. 

Dave retired in 1991—the first, he wrote at the time of his Yale 50th reunion, of four retirements. Together, he continued, they proved “the most challenging of all careers.”  During the first part of those repeated retirements, Dave served on the boards of many local organizations. For two years he was executive director of the Main Street America Program in Plymouth, New Hampshire, near his Hebron home. Main Street America leads an inclusive, impact-driven movement dedicated to reenergizing and strengthening older and historic downtowns. In addition, he continued an active role as a woodshop counselor at Camp Pasquaney, which he had attended as a boy.

He also motorcycled his way around the United States and Mexico as well as in Europe. Dave wintered in Tucson, where he and one of his Yale roommates, Bob Hewett, were volunteers at the Pima Air & Space Museum. His efforts where he worked were focused in the restoration department, Bob reports, “to produce miracles of bringing old and odd pieces of junk literally to life.”  According to John Mars, his Yale roommate all four years, Dave was “thorough and detailed in everything he did and a joy to work with.” 

Others who knew Dave in college recall his cheeriness and sense of humor. He and his four Yale roommates gathered for reunions in various parts of the country over the years. One roommate, Herb Donner, passed away in August 2021. 

Roommate Roger Cogswell writes that Dave was courageous about his forthcoming death to the very end.  He is survived by Enid, his wife of 61 years; their daughters Alison Quinan and Sharon Reed; three granddaughters; and two sisters, Nancy Kellett and Margaret Dunlap.

—Submitted by the family.