SUN CITY, TEXAS
David Louis Reid passed away peacefully on Friday, July 12, 2019. He was born to Robert Reid and Hazel Hall Reid on June 5, 1938 in Christopher, Illinois. He graduated from Christopher High School and attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas where he met his wife, Virginia Spong, in honors math class. Both David and Virginia graduated from KU with B.S. degrees in Engineering in 1960. David then attended Purdue University and received a Master’s degree in 1962.
David started his career with Aerojet General in Azusa and Sacramento, California where he worked on the Apollo Service Module Engine. He and Virginia were married on September 27, 1963 In Fair Oaks, California. David then spent 4 years working for the Allison Division of GM in Indianapolis on gas turbine engines. Then he spent 15 years working for Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, Indiana where he received 8 patents on diesel engine design improvements. His last position was with Comptek, Inc. of Farmington Hills, Michigan where he created systems for testing diesel engines primarily for Cummins and retired as President of the company. He had to travel a lot for his jobs especially Comptek where he traveled all over the U.S., England, Scotland, India, and Mexico to install new and updated diesel engine test cell systems at Cummins Engine Company plants.
David’s love of engines, cars, and motorcycles started when he was in high school when his father was involved with stock car racing. David’s job was to tear down the car engine, clean it, and put it back together for the next weekend’s race. He loved sports cars and was very excited to buy the first Porsche 911 that was imported to the Sacramento dealer in 1965 right off the showroom floor. He owned and raced two motorcycles on paved road racing tracks in California. After moving to Indiana, he switched to racing go karts. He and his friend, John Pearce designed and built from scratch a go kart for John to race. He spent two years on the USAC Stock Car Technical Inspection Team for their races. He then slowed down to bicycling and running so he could run in the 1982 marathon in Louisville, Kentucky. He also helped with both of his sons’ hockey teams.
After David and Virginia both retired from Comptek, they moved to Sun City Texas in 2004 to enjoy not having to shovel snow and drive on ice. They enjoyed traveling to their Royal Resorts villas in Cancun many times and traveling in their RV. They completed visiting all 50 states on a tour to New England in 2014. In Sun City, he enjoyed playing golf, woodworking, Kiwanis, and reading the books in the Sun City library.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia, daughter Julie Ann Reid of Fishers, Indiana, sons Robert K. Reid (Donna) of Pinckney, Michigan and Eric Lee Reid (Jennifer) of Farmington Hills, Michigan, grandsons Nathan Reid, Jacob Reid, William Eikenbary, granddaughters Cameron and Katie Adams, sister Rebecca Sullivan (Al) of Puyallup, Washington, brother Dan Akin (Jan) of Overland Park, Kansas, nieces, nephews, and lifelong friend, John Pearce.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and grandson Scott Frederick.
A Celebration of David’s life is planned for later this summer in Michigan with the family.
