Lionel Charles Reed

Funeral services celebrating the life of Lionel Charles Reed, 79, of West Monroe, LA will be held at 2:00 P.M., Sunday, March 24, 2024, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home in West Monroe, Louisiana, with his friends officiating. Interment will follow in Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Calhoun, LA. 
 

The visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., Saturday, March 23, 2024, in the chapel of Mulhearn Funeral Home West Monroe.

 Mr. Reed was born on December 7, 1944, in Wichita Falls, Texas to his parents, Lionel and Charlie Jane Reed, and he passed away on March 21, 2024, in Calhoun, Louisiana, after a brief illness.

 “My husband was an amazing man, and there was absolutely nothing he could not do. He had the strongest mind and ability of anyone I’ve ever met. I loved him so much, and I always felt protected. I knew that nothing would hurt me because he was there. He tackled everything like it was just another step. Although he didn’t often show it openly, he loved me and his children and always provided a hand when we needed a push. Most of the time it wasn’t the way we wanted, but he got it done. Life with Lionel was not easy because he wasn’t an easy man. He was a force to be reckoned with and you could feel his presence when he walked into a room. When a problem arose, he would take his time to figure it out, whatever it was, and he always found the answer! I always found comfort in knowing that if the world was crumbling around us, he would find a way out. Lionel could do anything, but his passion was building things. He was a skilled craftsman who loved designing and constructing; everything from saddles and leatherwork, to building boat docks and boat houses, to restoring vehicles like his beloved Broncos and Mustangs. There was no motor that needed to be built or re-built that he didn’t tackle. He had a competitive nature that was shown prominently on the racetracks, whether drag racing or mud racing; and he passed this competitive nature on to his children.    He was rough and gruff, but he did have a soft side. I remember when we got our first kitten, he surely didn’t want her, but he was very gentle with her. He cuddled newborn baby goats to keep them warm, not of his choosing of course, but he did it. He accepted my love of animals and built me houses and barns and fenced areas to keep them safe. Lionel was so much, there are not enough words to describe him. I’m so much better for having Lionel in my life, and I’m so very proud to be his wife.”
 

Lionel moved to West Monroe, Louisiana in 1963. He was 19 years old with just a few cents in his pocket. He had a strong determination and was soon able to build and open Reed’s Saddle Shop on Highway 80 in West Monroe. 

Lionel instilled his work ethic in his daughters, who worked beside him along with their mother as they grew up to become successful businesswomen. He built saddles and belts and crafted various sorts of amazing leather work. In the evenings, he enjoyed building vehicles for weekend racing in the shop that he built behind his house. He did quite a lot of racing, including traveling around the country racing with his friends, and even building his own racetrack in Monroe, Louisiana, where he hosted mud races on the weekends. 

Lionel eventually closed his saddle shop and opened a four-wheel drive center, which over the years transitioned to a successful fabrication business where he built everything from engines, heavy duty winch bumpers, boat docks, and boat houses among other structures.   Our son developed the same love for restoring vehicles, building motors and mud riding as his daddy and I loved listening to the two of them talk about everything motor and vehicle related.   

In 1993, Lionel started building his houseboat dubbed “Ain’t No Problem”. It took him three years to build the boat, which finally hit the water in January of 1997, on the coldest day of the year. A jack of all trades, Lionel purchased and opened The Landing Boat Dock and Tavern in 1998 where we both worked evenings and weekends having fun and making friends. 

Lionel was preceded in death by his father, Lionel “Copper” Reed; mother, Charlie Jane Peterson Reed; sister, Izetta Kay Reed Read; father-in-law, Jerrold Yarbrough; and mother-in-law, Juanita Yarbrough.

Those left to cherish his memory are his adoring wife, Janet Yarbrough Reed; son, Lionel Colton Reed; daughters, Mona Reed Crawford and her husband, Stephen, Monica Reed Mock and her husband, Chuck and sister, Leah Hemphill and her husband, David; grandchildren, Charlye Jayne Mock and Adam Reed Mock; sisters-in-laws, Jennelle Brulte, Jayne Bader and her husband, Michael, and Jo Womack; nephews, Logan Womack, Jacob Womack, and Luke Stagg; nieces, Jordyn Stagg, Rebekah Cantrelle, Jennifer Downing, Stephanie Leonard, Bellamy Baylor, and Brittney Pierce; great nieces, Chandler, Avery, and Sloan Pierce; brother-in-law, Bill Read; aunt, Judy Jordan and her husband, Allen; and cousin, Sandy Johnson.

Pallbearers will be Brandon Salas, Cole Watson, Adam Mock, Keslar Santousso, Jordyn Stagg, Luke Stagg, Logan Womack, and Jacob Womack. The honorary pallbearer will be Larry Cooper.

Memorials can be made to the St.  Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.