Samuel L. Reed

Samuel Layne Reed was born November 9, 1947 in Booneville, MO and died at home surrounded by family on March 16, 2025 in Oak Park, IL, of complications related to Parkinson's disease. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and pastor. He was 77 years old; a man who sought God his entire life and believed “...for me to live is Christ, to die is gain.” A present listener, connecting with people and sharing his faith were cornerstones of his life. He loved encouraging people in their growth, both personally and spiritually. He was a counselor, a discipler, and someone who treated everyone he met with kindness and respect. He sent his daughters off to school each day saying the phrase “walk with the King and be a blessing” as a reminder God was with them and could help them have a heart-centered impact on the world. 

His early years were spent in Boonville, MO, and after high school graduation he attended the University of Missouri-Rolla, receiving a BS Electrical Engineering. It was there through involvement with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship that he committed his life to Christ. He first met his wife Barbara one summer when the two worked in a St. Louis, MO inner city mission. After his graduation from Rolla Sam was a project engineer for General Telephone in Bloomington, IL. Their shared vision for ministry led them to marriage, June 1970. Their daughter Leah was born in 1971, daughter Erin in 1974. Sam’s and Barbara’s faith guided their life together. In 1975 he decided to leave engineering feeling called to pursue a Master’s of Divinity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL with a heart for world missions. He attended school while working to support his family. While learning about ministry he also fell in love with ancient Biblical texts, becoming a Theologian and scholar of ancient Greek and Hebrew, and Biblical hermeneutics. Their daughter Carolyn was born in 1978. Upon his graduation in 1980, Sam and Barbara shifted focus to become church planters for the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA).

He was the interim pastor at Monroe Evangelical Free Church in Phillips, NE until early1981 when he went to Alliance, NE with Barbara and their three daughters to begin his church-planting ministry. In 1985 he became a fully ordained minister for the EFCA. Their years of investment resulted in the establishment of Alliance Evangelical Free Church.  Their youngest daughter April was adopted in spring of 1994. Sam and Barbara left Alliance in 1994 to pastor a church plant in Superior, NE, staying until it reached autonomy. During that time he served two terms on the Trinity Board of Regents (where he received his M-Div) helping set direction for the institution. They returned to the Chicago area in the Fall of 1999 to pastor Circle Evangelical Free Church in Oak Park, IL until its closure in 2001. To provide stability for his youngest daughter April, Sam stayed in the area and became General Manager for McAdam Landscaping till 2018 handling worker crews, equipment purchases, among other duties, drawing on his engineering and leadership experience. During that time he was a chaplain for Skyword Ministries for 13 years, performing church services in Midway and O’Hare airports as a way to retain his EFCA ordination. He loved meeting people in those impromptu situations. He was also  a part-time associate pastor for the Village Church of Oak Park from 2016 till his official retirement in 2022. By this time Parkinson’s and dysphagia brought numerous health challenges. 

He’s no longer suffering from Parkinson’s and all of the vocal and physical ability it took from him these past years. Advocating for his care was the center of his family’s life. Barbara told him before he died that it had been the privilege of her life to be able to be his caregiver out of “love not duty.” Barbara was supported by their daughters, friends and church family, a dedicated medical team and caregivers via the Village of Oak Park Senior Services; with a special thank you to Cheryl and Alan who made caring for him at home possible. Sam’s family is forever grateful for their love and support. Sam is survived by: his wife of 54 years, Barbara, their daughters Leah (John), Erin (Nick), Carolyn (Marc), and four Grandchildren, Aspen, Eden, Haven and Callah, as well as brothers Ken (Deb) and Lynn (Laura). He was preceded in death by his parents Artie and Marian, brother Russell, and daughter April.

Visitation and Celebration of Life service  -  Saturday April 12, 2025

*A link to watch the service online will be shared soon

  Village Church of Oak Park - 911 S. Taylor, Oak Park, IL 

Visitation, 10 a.m - 12:00 p.m, with Celebration of Life service immediately following 

Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home in Forest Park, IL is handling arrangements. www.zimmermanharnett.com

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