Deacon John Aldrich Reed

Deacon John Aldrich Reed, 71, of St. Peter, passed onto the Lord on January 21, 2020. Having spent his entire life devoted to the care of others, he leaves a gap on this Earth that will never be filled. 

John was born in Virginia, MN, on March 7, 1948, to the late John “Mims” and Dona Reed. While attending Benilde, he met his wife of 45 years, Maryanne. They resided in Plymouth, where they raised three children and where John spent 30 years with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office where he retired as a Detective.

John served as a Tech Sergeant in the Air National Guard, as a Deacon for St. Bartholomew’s Wayzata, MN, St. George’s Long Lake and as Chaplain for the Wayzata Fire Department and the Fraternal Order of Police. After “retiring” to the Brainerd Lakes area in 1999, John worked as a K9 handler and School Resource Officer for Crosby Police Department and later as the Chief of Police for Emily. He also worked with the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and as an associate with Midwest Canine Alternatives. He continued his work as a Deacon in Crosby, MN performing baptisms, weddings and funerals; always serving the Lord, always in awe of His glory. 

Eventually, he and Maryanne moved to St. Peter, where they spent the remainder of their years. John didn’t stop moving, though: He continued his work as a Deacon at the Church of St. Peter, a Captain in the Civil Air Patrol, a fourth degree Grand Knight at the Council 1509 Knights of Columbus and was a member of the Lions Club.

In his rare down time, John loved to read and learn. He was proud of his Choctaw heritage. He loved going to the movies (though he may have loved popcorn even more). He will be remembered as happy-go-lucky and mischievous, constantly finding ways to bring a smile to other people’s faces. He was friendly to a fault and he adored his grandchildren!

Above all, John will be remembered as someone who lived his life to help others. He believed he was blessed and he wanted to share those blessings with the world. He was an excellent listener, a joyful servant, a man who gave of himself freely — and who touched the lives of everyone around him. In the end, John must have accomplished everything that God put him on Earth to do, because God called him home. 

John is survived by his daughter, Mary Jean “Jeanie” Mallberg (Brett) and grandson, Maverick; his daughter, Christina Shortall (Dan) and grandchildren Thomas, Nathan, Lily and Sara; his son, John “JJ” Reed; his sister, Marjorie Reed Braun (Larry); and his brothers Dan, Mike, and Rob (Debbie) Reed. 

Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 11am at the Church of St. Peter, St. Peter, MN with a visitation Friday, January 31, 2020 from 4-7 pm at the church. Visitation will also take place one hour prior to the service, at the church on Saturday. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred.