News-Sentinel, The (Fort Wayne, IN) - December 13, 1991Erroll L. Reed, 54, of Fort Wayne died Tuesday in St. Joseph Medical Center.
The Springfield, Mass., native was a veteran of the Navy and owner of Pronto Inc. He was a member of the Downtown Rotary Club and Big Brother/Big Sisters Inc.
Surviving are a daughter, Abby Reed of Fort Wayne, sons, Josh, Ty and Thim, all of Fort Wayne and Thom of Japan: a brother, Gordon, of Chelmsford, Mass., and two grandchildren.
Private graveside services, without calling, will be held in Covington Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are by Klaehn, Fahl & Melton Funeral Homes.
Preferred memorials are gifts to the American Diabetes Association or Big Brothers/Big Sisters inc.
"Erroll was born and raised in Longmeadow, Massachusetts with his older (4 years) brother Gordon. His mother taught school and his father was Supervisor of Maintenance at Smith & Wesson. Erroll attended Wilbraham Academy Preparatory School, graduating in 1954.After joining the Navy, October 1954, he completed boot camp at Brainbridge, Maryland, Basic radio and CT school, at Imperial Beach in late 1955. Fred Giovannitti and Erroll were then assigned language class at US Navy Intelligence school, Anacostia, DC. They both then attended Army Security Agency school, Fort Devons, Massachusetts. After a short leave Erroll reported for duty at Bremerhaven, Germany in early 1956. He was assigned to Charlie Section. Fred joined him in Charlie a few months later. While serving out his four years in Bremerhaven, Erroll extended six months for a TAD submarine opportunity to the North Pole, believed to be aboard the USS Skate.
After taking discharge in early 1959, he attended the University of Massachusetts graduating with a degree in business. Erroll and his wife, Jocelyn, who he met while at UMass, moved to Glendale Arizona to attend American Institute for Foreign Trade, graduating in 1964. The family, Josh had arrived by then, moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana where Erroll began a successful career in Import/Export; Widgets as Josh tells it.
He started his own business, Pronto, Inc., assisted by his daughter Abby, traveled world wide conducting business in languages he learned after leaving the US Navy.
Erroll is survived by brother Gordon, ex-wife Jocelyn Reed-Will, daughter Abby, sons Josh, Ty and Thim. Thim's twin brother, Thom, now deceased." - Jerry Argo
Fred Giovannitti tells this story on Erroll:"One night, Erroll and 'Greek' Jarema had a set to on the street between the Odeon and the Blue Angel and one of them was arrested by the SP's (my memory won't let me remember which one it was). Anyway, when the SP's went in to check the Odeon, the Paddy Wagon was opened by the other one and they both escaped."
Frank Meinhart picks up the story:
"Jack Bair (I think it was him) and I are were heading up the street to the Odeon when we came on the Shore Patrol Paddy Wagon with Erroll locked in it. We asked him, "What the heck are you doing in there?" He replied, "Got in a fight and the SP's are looking for the other guy." Frank relates, "we opened the wagon door and told him to get out of there." He took off running down the street, stopped about a half a block away, turned around and ran back, jumped in the wagon and pulled the door closed behind him. We asked him, "What in the hell are you doing?" and Erroll said, "The Shore Patrol had his ID card!"
"John and I had many disagreements on the softball field. I always said he was lousy at calling balls and strikes but good on the bases. John had no favorites when he was umpiring, he called them like he saw them, for both sides. Off the field and after the games we were good friends." - Carlton Cox (CTR2 1966-68)
James W. Osmer Jr., 76, a retired Navy captain who was a program manager in the Northern Virginia offices of Raytheon Corp. from 1978 to 1988, died Aug. 15 at a hospital in Flat Rock, N.C. He had Parkinson's disease.
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