William Reed

William "Bill" L. Reed , of Keokuk, IA, went home to be with Jesus on Thursday evening, May 17, 2012 at the age of 51, after a brave battle with cancer. He was born March 16, 1961 in Peoria, IL, the son of Lee and Theda Burger Reed. He first married Mary Chancellor and to this union were born two children, Kelly and Laura. On November 5, 1988, he was united in marriage to Laura Hulboy in Farmer City, IL and to this union were born two children, Douglas and Samantha. He is survived by his wife Laura of Keokuk, IA, four children, Kelly Reed of Farmer City, IL, Laura (Gary) Oshel of Wisconsin, Douglas Reed of Springfield, MO, and Samantha Reed of Keokuk, IA. He is also survived by three grandchildren, Ella Reed, Blake Reed, and Macy Oshel, all of Ft. Atkinson, WI, and many other cherished family members and friends, as well as two beloved cats, Sugar and Spice. He was preceded in death by his parents. Bill graduated from the Wellington Illinois High School. He furthered his education by graduating from Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in History. Bill was a veteran of the United States Air Force and proudly served his country. Bill had most recently been employed as a broadcaster at KOKX Radio in Keokuk and at Southeastern Community College Keokuk and Burlington campuses as a history instructor, where his passion for teaching and history made him a favorite with students. He attended Cornerstone Church in Keokuk. He recently revived his love for theater, acting in several plays with Keokuk Great River Players and serving on their Board of Directors. He also directed the GRP comedy, The Curious Savage in November of 2010. Bill spent thirty years as a radio broadcaster, and loved doing play-by-play reporting of sporting events. In 1990, he won the State of Illinois Silver Dome award for best original broadcast of a sporting event by a small market station. More recently, he spent six years broadcasting sports for the Central Lee High School Hawks sports teams,and enjoyed getting to know the staff, parents, and students involved in Central Lee Sports. Bill loved sports and played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. He was especially talented at baseball and narrowly missed being drafted as a shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds. He was also a talented musician with a wonderful voice, and played drums, piano, and guitar. He wrote music and lyrics for a number of songs of his own. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at the Vigen Memorial Home in Keokuk, IA with Pastor Jed Linebaugh officiating. Burial with military rites was in the Keokuk National Cemetery. A memorial has been established.