John Reid

John Mabon Reid

Mayor John Reid of Dexter passed away at Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell, on November 22, 2008. Funeral services are scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2008 at 3:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Dexter. Stephen Deutsch will officiate. Burial will follow at South Park Cemetery. John will lie in state at the Ballard Funeral Home from noon Sunday to 7:00 p.m. and also from 8:00 a.m. Monday until noon.

The grandson of a pioneer eastern New Mexico family, John was born Feb. 6, 1935 on the family farm south of Dexter to John H. and Helen C. Reid. He attended Dexter Schools 12 years graduating with the Class of 1953. While in high school he participated in all sports that were offered and was elected by his teammates in 1952 and 1953, captain of the basketball team. His team won the 1953 District Championship by defeating the Roswell Coyotes. He was elected President of his senior class as well as the newly organized Future Farmers of America chapter at Dexter. John was the first Dexter athlete to be named Greatest Demon.

Following high school, John attended New Mexico Military Institute and was a graduate of that junior college. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from New Mexico A M now New Mexico State University. During this time he was drafted into the Army and was stationed for most of his 28 months in the San Francisco Bay area.

Mayor Reid began serving his community as a Little League Baseball volunteer in 1955 as a coach, umpire and grounds keeper. He and other Dexter alumni coached the league champion Dexter Dodgers Mr. Reid was also involved in coaching Babe Ruth Baseball leading the Dexter-Hagerman team to the League Championship and on to the regional tournament where they played with teams from cities such as New Orleans, Fayetteville, Tulsa and Austin.

In 1966 John began his career as a social studies teacher and coach at Pueblo Junior High School in Roswell. The following year he came home to Dexter where he completed 29 12 years in the field of education before retirement.

Coach Reid served as baseball, basketball, football coach, and activities director. During this time he served on several committees for the New Mexico Activities Association. Coach Reid was selected District Chairman for 5 years.

In addition to his work in the schools, Coach Reid spent several summers working for crop spraying businesses. He eventually went into partnership with pilot, Walt Liber as co- owner of Aerial Sprayers, Inc. until he suffered a heart attack in 1979.

Before retiring from the schools, John was elected Mayor of the Town of Dexter in 1989, and was currently serving his fourth four-year term in that capacity at the time of his death. Mayor Reid has served on several boards and commissions in the past 20 years. He was elected Chairman of the Southeastern NM Economic Development District and President of the Chaves County JOY Centers board of directors. He was a board member of the Chaves County Development Foundation, member of the Eastern NM Medical Center Advisory Board, ENMU-Roswell Advisory Committee and Roswell Corrections Center Prison Release Board.

John was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Dexter most of his life. He had been ordained as an elder of the church and served 3 four-year terms on the church session. He represented the Dexter Church in the Presbytery of Sierra Blanca. He was a member of the Republican Party of Chaves County and the Republican National Committee. John was a charter member of Character Counts of Chaves County serving on the board since its inception and also served as its Chairman. He was a life member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks

Mr. Reid was married to the former Margaret Mehlhop in January 1967. The couple raised three children: John Thomas Reid of Dexter, Merritt McLaurin and his wife Louise of Hot Springs, VA and Ginger and her husband David Kemp of Austin, TX. He also had one grandson, Justin Sims and wife Ashley of Buda, TX and two granddaughters, Savannah and Alison McLaurin of Hot Springs, VA and one great-granddaughter, Kimberly Sims of Buda, TX.

John was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, George Reid. He is survived by brothers, RC Bud Reid of Bethesda, MD and Clifford Reid of Portola Valley, CA and sister-in-law, Olivia Reid of Dexter.
P If something was going on in Dexter you would likely have found Mayor Reid there. He may have been running the clock during a girl's volleyball game, announcing at a varsity football game or keeping the book for a high school baseball game. You might have found him judging the Cub Scout pinewood derby, speaking to the new inductees of the National Honor Society or telling a junior high New Mexico History class what Dexter was like when

Visitation

Ballard Funeral Home
910 S. Main
Roswell, NM  88203
Sunday, November 23, 2008
12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Service

Funeral

1st Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 367
Dexter, NM  88230
Monday, November 24, 2008
3:00 p.m.

Cemetery

South Park Cemetery
3101 S. Main St.
Roswell, NM  88203

Memorial Contributions

1st Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 367
Dexter, NM  88230

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1822 N. Montana
Roswell, NM  88201