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A tribute to Scott Reed

Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 9 years, 8 months AGO
| May 4, 2015 9:00 PM

When Scott and Mary Lou Reed settled in Coeur d'Alene in 1956, the people of Kootenai County, the region, the state of Idaho and far beyond became the beneficiaries of this couple's limitless contributions in promoting the well-being of all the people, preserving the integrity of what nature had created in this corner of the world and guaranteeing a better life for future generations.

I invite the readers to join me in remembering and celebrating the life of my dear friend Scott Reed, one of the most remarkable human beings I've ever known. This space will only permit me to share a minuscule portion of Scott's accomplishments and his incredible legacy.

After receiving his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and law degree from Stanford, Scott used his many legal skills and devotion to humanity for six decades in Coeur d'Alene to touch and improve the lives of untold numbers of people, protect our sacred natural surroundings and yes guarantee a better life for generations to come.

Among his many gifts to us included acquiring a loan from a national non-profit so that the City of Coeur d'Alene could purchase and preserve Tubbs Hill for the public, served as the attorney for 'Save the NIC College Beach Committee" at no cost from 1972-1976 when we successfully prevented the construction of condos on what today is the "Yap Keehn-Um Public Beach," a legal expert and defender of the First Amendment, a legal scholar of law journal articles, strong advocate and defender of human rights, an attorney with the highest integrity serving as a model for young upcoming attorneys , recognized as the most prominent environmental attorney in our region of the country, great promoter of public education, devoted supporter of public libraries, patron of the arts and humanities and represented many low income clients and organizations pro bono to name just a few of his many contributions to our wellbeing.

A list of the boards on which he served highlights his numerous hours of public and civic service that included the North Idaho College Board of Trustees, Coeur d'Alene City Planning Commission, National Audubon Society, Coeur d'Alene Public Library Board, Idaho Water Resources Board, North Dakota Wetlands Trust, and Idaho Nature Conservancy Board.

Because of Scott and Mary Lou's thoughtful modesty, many people do not know of their generous philanthropy of giving to so many worthy causes through the Margaret Reed Foundation over many decades.

Scott and Mary Lou have been the ultimate exemplary or ideal married couple in a partnership that has accomplished so much.

Although Scott was always extremely modest about his successes and deflected compliments from himself by always recognizing others' roles in these accomplishments, he was honored as the recipient of numerous distinguished awards. In the limited space here, I will only mention his being awarded the Idaho State Bar Distinguished Lawyer Award, University of Idaho's President's Medallion Recipient, American Motors Corporation Conservation Award, Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations Civil Rights Award with wife Mary Lou, and in 2014 he and Mary Lou were inducted into the prestigious Idaho Hall of Fame.

I have never known a more generous, more giving of ones self for service to others, more ethical or more committed individual working for a more just and fair world. He used his great intellect and legal skills to advance these democratic principles.

I will dearly miss his sound advice, wisdom, support of our many causes and above all his dear friendship.

I extend my deepest sympathy to Mary Lou and this very special family.

My friend's legacy will endure and be a blessing to future generations.

Tony Stewart

Coeur d'Alene

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