Brian J. Reed, age 77, passed away unexpectedly on August 15, 2025 in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Brian was born October 28, 1947 in Monroe, WI to Noble and Pauline (Morton) Reed. Growing up he enjoyed wrestling and shop class, and spending summers at Silvercryst. Brian graduated from Monroe High School, class of ’65. He continued his education at MATC, Platteville, UW-Madison and Whitewater receiving a BA and a MBA in Educational Psychology. He went on to counsel young adults at Lakeland Counseling Center in Elkhorn. After six years, Brian was ready for a change so he joined the carpentry union and began building condos in Lake Geneva.
In 1977 he was united in marriage to Christine Holmbeck at Plentywood Farm in Bensenville, Illinois. They resided in Whitewater for the next three years. In 1980 Brian returned to Monroe, where he and his brother Steve purchased Clarno Lumber & Supply from their Uncle Harry. He found joy and success in operating his business, and made many friendships along the way. In his free time Brian enjoyed playing tennis, scuba diving, canoeing, camping, making maple syrup and traveling. The Coral Princess in Cozumel was, by far, his favorite destination. Brian was always willing to tackle any of the projects or ideas his wife and daughters gave him; from building shelves in their classrooms, to building a greenhouse and even a car wash, which eventually became like a clubhouse for him and his friends.
After 37 years of owning the lumber yard, Brian retired. In his retirement he developed a love for making homemade wine and pasta, perfecting his marinara recipe and trying out new recipes, and cooking techniques, from the Food Network. He had recently been passing down his love of woodworking to his grandsons. He enjoyed traveling with his family and watching Jaxon and Brody play football, basketball and baseball.
Family was always Brian’s number one priority. He is survived by his wife, Chris; his daughter Jessica Reed; daughter Abbey (Joe) Pepper; and grandsons Jaxon and Brody. Brian also had a multitude of cousins, nieces and nephews. Brian was preceded in death by his mother, Pauline and his brother Stephen.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday September 27, 2025 at 12pm at Shriner, Hager-Gohlke Funeral Home. A visitation will be held from 11am until the time of service at the funeral home. Condolences may be sent to the family at: shgfuneralhome.net
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Brian’s honor to the Carbone Cancer Center in Madison.
