Rodney Bruce Reid, 77, passed away at his home in Columbia Falls on Tuesday, July 5, 2016. He was surrounded by his wife and family, and attended by Hospice. He fought a long battle with IPF, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, for which there is no cure, treatment or known cause. 

Rod and Sandy resided in Columbia Falls and wintered in Desert Center, California. 

Rod was born in Baudette, Minnesota, on March 7, 1939, to Neva Mae Wagner and Frank O. Reid. They later moved to central Oregon, where he graduated from RUHS in 1958. There he met and later married his wife, Sandra Absher Reid, on Aug. 22, 1959. They were married just short of 57 years. They later moved to Eugene, Oregon, where Rod continued his education at the University of Oregon, graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Math degree. While attending school, Rod worked many part-time jobs and they had their three children, Bruce Alan, Brenda Kay and Brad Alan.

After graduation from UO, he worked in the sales field for pulp and paper handling systems, managed an industrial parts store for Georgia Pacific, sold CAT engines and eventually ended up in Missoula as manager of a power transmission company. With these varied experiences, in 1976 he decided to pursue his lifelong dream of owning his own business. He established Diversified Plastics Inc. in Missoula. He traveled Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, pursuing sales in the logging, mining and lumber industry. He expanded into a building with manufacturing machines, a warehouse, and a few employees. After many changes, such as venturing into the field of food processing when the logging industry was weakening, and many years of travel all over the Northwest, including all the mills in the Flathead Valley, the business thrived and is celebrating its 40-year anniversary this month. Diversified presently employs about 50 people in Missoula and has sales worldwide. Rod held three patents for his innovative thinking in the field of engineering parts for systems in the industrial market. His expertise in industrial plastics made him a respected authority on that subject, and he spoke at several seminars and was published in a Plastics magazine with national circulation.

About 15 years ago, Rod sold his business to his youngest son, Brad, and wife Wendy. With his mechanical engineering degree and new energy, Brad has grown the business to the size it is today and continued success, especially in waste-water management and the overseas market. Rod took great pride in being able to hand off a growing business to his son. In addition, he helped set up his daughter and son-in-law in a similar business in Enumclaw, Washington, which has enjoyed much success under their ownership.

Rod became an avid golfer but also found time for volunteer coaching in Little Grizzly Football and Little League Baseball in Missoula. The Reids bought at Meadowlake in Columbia Falls in 1989 as a “getaway” place, where the “avid golfer” made many friends and enjoyed the camaraderie of his golfing buddies. They later sold their home in Missoula and made Meadowlake their permanent home.

He was preceded in death by a grandson, Derek Reid; his parents, Frank and Neva, and many aunts and uncles, and cousins.

Rod’s survivors include his wife, Sandra; a brother Jack (Esther) Reid of Corvallis, Oregon; three children, Bruce (Dorothy) Reid of Lewistown, Brenda (Barry) Reid of Enumclaw, and Brad (Wendy) Reid of Missoula; six grandchildren and two great-grandsons, plus many, many close friends.

Cremation has taken place at Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home. 

Services are planned Aug. 19 in Missoula at The Crossroads Church. Separate small gatherings and celebrations in Columbia Falls and Desert Centers will take place as well.

Donations may be made to Friends of Hospice, 42 Bruyer Way, Kalispell, MT 59901.