Travis Reed

Travis Reed passed away Thursday, February 25, 2021, at the age of 92. Travis was born May 13, 1928 in Comanche County, Texas the eldest son of George and Lula Reed. He married Bobbie Joyce Ross on June 5, 1948, that’s 72 years of marriage and would have been 73 in June. After farming for a few years, Travis and Bobbie moved to Odessa in 1951. He went to work for Eastland Oil Company in 1952 and continued to work for Eastland until his retirement in 2018. He was proud to say he worked 65 years 6 months and 2 weeks for the Donnelly’s. He worked alongside 5 generations of the Donnelly family. He was well known and respected in the oil business and trained many young men in the oil fields of west Texas and eastern New Mexico.

After a couple of bad years at farming peanuts in Comanche county Travis’s father-in-law encourage them to pack up and move west. In 1951, with $20, a bed, a truck, and a toddler they came to Odessa. He got a job at a Gulf filling station on 2nd street. George Neal filled up there often and one day offered Travis a job with Eastland oil. He had to really think about it but he took the job where he started as a laborer painting fence posts. He later got promoted to pumper and had to work rotating night shifts. He said they never had to use lights in those days because the flares lit up the night sky like day. When Sinclair bought out the drilling division of Eastland they offered him a job but he stayed with the oil division of Eastland. The family moved to the company camp that had one house west of Odessa. They were there for a few years when they moved into town to a camp that had two houses. They were at that camp from 1959 until 1971 when the camp closed and they bought their forever home on Westbrook. His boys graduated from OHS but with the move to Westbrook Denise graduated from Permian which is a continuing family jab.

When his boys were young Travis became involved in the Boy Scouts. Even after his sons were older he continued as a Scout Master. For 17 years he took his annual vacation to go to the Boy Scout Ranch in the Davis Mountains. Back then he smoked a pipe and at least two of his scouts (that we know) were always taking his pipe and replacing the tobacco with what they found in the horse pens. W.C. and James may not know that he knew exactly who the culprits were.

He is survived by his wife, children, and one brother Mansel Reed and sister-in-law Carolyn of Stephenville, Texas, sister Pearl Swofford of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and sister Christine Steed and brother-in-law Bud of DeLeon, Texas.

Travis and Bobbie had three children. Son, Dean Reed and wife Johnnie of Gardendale, Texas and grandchildren Chris Reed and wife Jennifer of Rockwall, Texas and Lacy Williams and husband James of Rockwall, Texas. Son, Dwayne Reed and wife Trudee of Brownwood, Texas and grandchildren Robby Reed and wife Kim of Odessa, Texas, Rocky Reed and wife Brin of Merkel, Texas, Travis Reed and wife Shannon of Allen, TX, and Rachel Reed of Merkel, TX. Daughter, Denise Isaac and husband John of Montgomery, Texas and grandchildren Matthew Isaac of Tomball, Texas and Chase Isaac of Magnolia, Texas. He had 13 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter.

Travis is preceded in death by his father and mother and three brothers Cecil, Grady, and Clint.

Above all else, Travis adored all of his grandchildren. There are many stories that each one could tell but too many for this time. They all remember the “yep, yep, yep” that he would say as he listened to their stories. Lacy, his first granddaughter, was always his “favorite granddaughter” until 18 years later his 2nd, Rachel, came along, then Lacey became his favorite 1st granddaughter. Matthew always loved their talks about the Dallas Cowboys, and Chase laughed that every time it snowed in Odessa, Pawpaw would call to see if it snowed in Georgia. Pawpaw loved talking with Robby about their common interest in the oilfield. All of his grandchildren admired his strong work ethic and his kind loving ways with his family. Travis had been charged with overseeing the installation of 3 pump jacks at the Petroleum Museum in 1975. There were plans that one day soon he could go and see them again.

Travis loved to keep a nice yard. He loved his flowers and green grass. He enjoyed watching the hummingbirds out the back window. There was never a day that he would skip breakfast. Always, no matter what, he ate breakfast. He would save a piece of biscuit or toast and take outside for the birds so he could enjoy watching them eat.

Travis, Dad, Pawpaw will be missed deeply. From his birth in 1928 until his passing in 2021, there has been a family member or members born in each decade for this nearly 100 year legacy.

Graveside services will be held on Wednesday, March 3rd at 3 p.m. in Sunset Memorial Gardens, Odessa, Texas.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, Robby Reed, Chris Reed, Rocky Reed, Travis Reed, Matthew Isaac, and Chase Isaac.