Paul Reed

Paul George Reed passed away on August 20th, 2021 at his home north of Durango. He was born September 26th, 1950 to Edith and Ed Reed in Fort Worth, Texas. He came to the San Juan Mountains as a child, when his parents would vacation at the Columbine Guest Ranch just south of Purgatory Ski Resort. They loved the area so much that in 1963 they purchased a piece of land from Bill Lechner, built a home and moved the family permanently to Colorado. Paul attended school at Miller Junior High and later, Durango High School. While he enjoyed school, his true love was the outdoors. He became a very skilled hunter and an avid fly fisherman, activities that he would enjoy throughout his lifetime. On December 21st, 1987, he and Alison Richards eloped to Bullhead City, Arizona where they became married on the longest day of the year.
Paul’s mathematical and carpentry talents lead him to a career in custom construction. He was the owner of Paul Reed Custom Builder before working for Square Wood Building. His next job was with Cedarwood Engineering, a company that worked as a subcontractor for Durango’s early sewer plant. Upon completion, he became a well-known fixture at Purgatory Ski Resort. He worked there for 21 years, during which time he served as Director of Transportation and Maintenance Supervisor. Not only did he know how to fix anything on the mountain, he was kindly remembered by fellow co-workers and friends as someone who would drop everything to lend a hand, whether it be unlocking a gate with his huge ring of company keys or pulling someone out of a snowbank. He was quick to offer a joke or to share a story that usually started with, “Hey, did you hear about…..” Following his tenure at Purgatory, he worked as Director of Maintenance for Cascade Village before he and Alison purchased the Needles Liquor Store, a business they would own and operate from 1999 to 2017. He was a former member of the Durango Elks Lodge BPOE #507 and was particularly proud of was his lifetime membership with the Cortez Trap Club.
After selling the liquor store, Paul enjoyed retirement in his childhood home, spending time with Alison, never missing a Rockies or Broncos game and enjoying the beauty of the place that he had grown to love. Friends would stop by to visit and join him on the porch for a beverage and to catch up on the latest North County news. He was a highly skilled carpenter and mathematical genius who could be counted on to solve problems. His impact on those around him was significant and he will be dearly missed.
Paul is survived by his wife, Alison, his nephew, Matt Reed of Tulsa, Oklahoma and his nephew, Nathan Reed of Salt Lake, Utah. Paul has been cremated. No service will be held.