John Carroll Reed, also lovingly known as “Bump”, son of Agnes “Irene” Saxon-Fenwick was born on November 11, 1942, in Hermanville, Maryland. He peacefully departed this life surrounded by his children at home in Hollywood, Maryland on April 1, 2025, after a lengthy battle with serious illnesses. John (Bump) was the oldest of six siblings.
John received his diploma from George Washington Carver High School in 1961 and then decided to join the United States Army in 1962. Upon leaving the Army in 1964, he went to work for the Naval Air Warfare Center, at Patuxent River, MD. After years of dedicated service, he retired from NAWC in September 1999.
John also had another dedication he enjoyed the most; the love of his life, Paula A. Reed, whom he joined in matrimony on July 1, 1977, and their three children, along with his many family and friends he loved spending time with. After a short period of being retired, “Bump” needed to keep active, so he took a job as a Security Officer at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, which he loved. Here, as only Bump could do, he made many more friends who became family.
Bump was a warm and welcoming type that did not have any problems with telling what’s on his mind. You could sit and talk to him about anything or listen to him impart his life’s experiences. He was never one to judge, but he would let you know about yourself if needed (laughs for days).
He loved spending time with his family, enjoyed playing cards with family and friends, watching sports, especially his LA Dodgers, Baltimore Orioles, and his Baltimore Ravens, as well as going fishing and teaching all things fishing to the younger generation. A lover of the great outdoors, when you visited the house, you could pull up anytime and he would be sitting at the picnic table or in his chair enjoying nature. He enjoyed his trips to the Foxy Fish restaurant with his siblings, nieces, and friends. Foxy Fish will miss him (LOL). He loved his many trips that we took, Vegas, Hawaii, and the Grand Canyon, which was extra fun. A life truly lived to the fullest until God called him home.
Bump was preceded in death by his loving wife, Paula Reed, his mom, Irene Fenwick, brother, Harris Reed, grandmother, Bessie Saxon, and granddad, Thomas “Mr. Tom” Greenwell, Uncle Paul Saxon/Aunt Lena, Aunt Emma Hebb, Aunt Julia Saxon, niece, Lessie Reed-Bradford, brothers-in-law George Awkward, Thomas “Junior” Awkward and many others.
He leaves fond memories in the hearts of his three children, daughter, Charlene Cooper (George), son, Herman Awkward, and daughter, Tameika Thomas (Frank), two grandchildren Shabreene and Candra Awkward (mother Heike), and one great grandson, Eli, and godson, Erik “Boogie” Spann, Jr. He also leaves behind two brothers, Larry and Michael James, two sisters, Agnes Davis (Carl-deceased) and Charlotte Reed-Holly (Sonny), mother-in-law, Theodoris Awkward, sisters in-law, Vivian Mills (John), Jackie Johnson (Lowell), Dorothy Reed and brothers in-law Ronnie Awkward (Charlethia), Roger Awkward, (Mary- deceased), and Raymond Awkward (Daisy-Mae-deceased), and a load of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, cousins, and a ton of friends that will greatly miss him. God says, I have John in my loving care until you meet again. He’s holding Paula once again. REST IN PEACE DAD!
The family will receive friends on Friday, April 25, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM in the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home, Leonardtown, MD, where a funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM in the funeral home chapel with Bishop John Briscoe officiating. Interment will follow in Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Cemetery, Lexington Park, MD.
The repast will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Hall in Lexington Park, MD.
Condolences may be made to the family at www.mgfh.com.
Arrangements provided by the Mattingley-Gardiner Funeral Home and Cremation Services, P.A., Leonardtown, MD.
