Remembering
RB Reed III, 36
Sunday, July 7, 2024

I miss you so much baby!!! My heart aches for you and although I know you are with Jesus, I selfishly, just want you here with me. I want just one more minute to tell you how much you have enriched my life, how much love and joy you have given me, and I
foolishly pray for just another few seconds to give you some hugs and kisses and again tell you how much I love you!! I was blessed to have you for those 36 years because you truly were a precious gift from God. I am not sure if this ache will ever go away, but I do find some peace in knowing we will one day be together again in the Kingdom of Heaven. I also take comfort in knowing that you are now completely healed. This will never be goodbye my son, just, I will see you again, I love you!!!

My dearest brother, RB a.k.a. Bubby,
You were a son, a brother, an uncle, a cousin, grandchild, a friend and so much more. You stole all of our hearts from a baby with your smile, those big brown brown eyes and the curly dark hair. My love for you is unconditional and only got stronger the more time I spent with you over the past 36 years. We were your typical siblings, one day we’re fighting calling each other names, the next day we’re loving. You were truly a remarkable kid, and grown into an amazing, fascinating young man. You had an infatuation with feet, I loved your ears. I always bet them with my lips, that’s probably why they were so big. I do the same thing to Serena and now she does it to me. Those odd little quirks that we share through generations. You grew quickly into a young man, by age 14 you had experienced smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, sex, love, breaking the law, your first tattoo. You did all the things our parents told us not to do and in the same respect you were sweet, Loving and charismatic, always being the funny guy. It’s amazing how much of a life you lived in 14 years before the unfortunate accident. Even after the accident, you still were you with the same personality and funny just in a much more relaxed monotone. I’m so grateful the years I got you spend with you and I’m sorry for those who did not. I must admit it took me a good 10 years to come to peace with your accident, but it never kept me away from you, it only made me fight harder for you. It gave me peace knowing you were happy and not angry or sad, I think that was one blessing secondary to your injury. A miracle itself is how I would say your life in one word. You survived a traumatic injury and came out stronger, and continued to fight for many years. I remember getting the call from Mom when you first came out of the coma and said your first words. I remember visiting you when you first started eating and drinking again and I got you three bottles of Gatorade from the vending machine because I was so excited and kept letting you have them back to back and you vomited everywhere. I remember swimming with you when you lived at Devereux. I remember all the times we brought you home for sleepovers, you loved being with your family. I still cannot make sense or understand why you had to leave us on July 7. I try not to blame myself for not noticing something that maybe your body was telling me that I could of fixed or help prevent this. I’ll be forever grateful
to Mom for FaceTimeing me on my birthday and you wishing me a happy birthday in your soft and whispering voice. Though we all know know you could be very vocal when you wanted to like when I would shower you and you would tell me over and over again ”I’m clean, Im clean, and getting louder every time “I’m clean ash”. You made me laugh, I would distract you by talking about music, your past, or my life. I never kept my daughter away from you, she was introduced to her uncle as a young baby and continued to spend time and visit with you whether it was visits at your facility or going to events that your facility offered. I will forever cherish memories of you too. You were the master of animal trivia, you would beat all of us every time we played. You loved your food and loved visits with your family. I will miss the fights we had as teenagers, I will miss bringing you home for home passes as you would call them, I will miss cutting your hair and showering you and listening to 2Pac, Nelly and Eminem. I had every intention of bringing you home to live with me one day, you deserved to be with your family, unfortunately, God called for you before that happened. I was convinced I had another good 20 to 30 years with you. we take time for granted, and that’s one thing we can never get back. If I learned anything from this it is to love your family, visit them, and spend time with the people you care for and love. Don’t tell yourself I’ll do it tomorrow or next week because that might not ever come. As as much time as I spent with you, I feel it was not enough, now I have to learn to come the peace with you no longer being here with us and Im not sure I know how to do that. You were a big part of my life. I love you and I will always continue to fight for you. If you never met my brother, I will tell you this, he will be forever young. Despite his injury, he continued to live through his youth and memories. He was a kid who lived life to fullest, loved unconditionally and hard and was fearless. You were loved by everyone who met you. You were sweet, kind, funny and a great listener. I could talk about you all day and share stories and memories. That’s what will help me get through this. My brother, this day came to soon for all of us. I wasn’t ready, not sure I ever would of been. You will be greatly missed. My heart is broken. If I ask you for anything it’s please help me and all of us get through this hard time. I’ll see you in heaven. I love you always. Love you sister, Ashley.

Ashley L Reed
July 17, 2024

I never had the chance to meet Bubby prior to his accident, but I felt like I truly got to know him through the countless conversations I've had with my wife, Blair. On occasion, when we visited him, he would engage with his family and talk about old times. Over the years, he became aware of many more current affairs, including me being a part of his family. I could only help but think of all of the conversations Blair and I had about his character & Charisma, and often thought to myself how great of a relationship we could have had. I envisioned working along side of him in our restaurants, and thinking of how many people he would have made happy.

I am grateful for the opportunity to know him as my wife's brother. The love his sisters have shown for him is amazing, and his memory will remain in our house indefinitely. I watched my wife add his pictures around the house, and saw she was fulfilled with great joy remembering him and his journey through his young life.

You won't be forgotten, Bubby, and your family made sure your resting ground reflects the joy you have brought to them. Rest in Peace buddy.

Your Brother In Law,
Dave

At such a young age, my brother emanated charm and character. His big beautiful brown eyes always complimented his permanent smile. Always the jokester. Full of life. It has taken me decades to dabble on the surface of what came so easily to him… Which was, to live in the moment.

Picking on his little brother and justifying it by stating, “don’t worry mom, I’m trying to make a man out of him,” or selling tickets to his buddies for sneaking them into my closet for a free show while changing after a shower. Or borrowing mom’s expensive Yankee candles off of the coffee table to use for waxing bike racks before grinding them with his skateboard, only to return them all melted and deformed. Circling the house so many times in his go-cart that it created a six-foot-wide mud track! Crushing on all of my girlfriends, especially his favorite – my longtime best friend, Dana. Just a few weeks ago he asked me, like dozens of times before, if she was single.

You could say he lived more in his first fourteen years than many do with tripled his lifetime. Wild and free. Barely a teenage when my brother announced to us that he was never growing old. “I’m going to do everything I want and experience life because I know I am never going to grow old,” he proclaimed.

Shocked and bit taken back by such a bold statement, my reaction was simply – stop listening to your rap albums! Don’t take the lyrics so seriously! You’re a suburban middle-class boy! He just blew me off, smiled, and continued to life carefree.

At age fourteen, a tragic accident occurred which brought his prediction to fruition. Defeating all odds, including neurosurgeons/ doctors/ and experts, measures, statistics, predictions, and even science; he survived. Brain trauma had suspended him with a 14-year-old mind, but his charm and character remained intact.

“I’m not a walker, Blair!’ His greatest response whenever I suggested he get up and walk. Or “why don’t you have milkshakes at your restaurant yet?” To, what’s your favorite name? Color? Animal? Our special alphabet games to “Blair, why don’t you give me a nephew? To his most recent, Isn’t Peyton a boy’s name?? My daughter, his niece, just recently turned one.

The simplicity, and authenticity of those moments with my brother over the last 22 years were everything. He gave me something I couldn’t do for myself… what most of us never do… every minute, every moment, he lived authentic and real. No drama, no planning, no stressing, no burdens, no FOMO or comparisons. Just alive, together with you, sharing moments. The world stopped when you visited him. Everyday burdens melted away when you spent time with him. It was magic.

I love you brother. I promise to keep your spirit alive as I raise my daughter. Teach her to harness a wild spirit like her beloved uncle. You will live in my memories, especially those simple pure conversations and laughs we shared together. Miss you little bro.