The relentless John Wayne “JW” Reed, Jr. was born May 4th, 1963, in Seaside, California. He was born with 11 fingers, 10 toes, and a desire for more out of life. Born to young parents, John Wayne Reed, Sr. and Florine Bledsoe, he was affectionately raised by his mother, Florine Jones, and James H. Jones, who married in 1971.

He is preceded in death by Willie Ernest Benning (Grandmother); Cora Bell White (Grandmother); Rosetta Pamilton, aka Big Mama (Great‑Grandma); Paul P. Powell (Grandpa); Florine Jones (Mother); and Rosalie Powell (Grandma).

He is survived by his children, Taylore, Jasmine, Jhanira, and John Wayne Reed III; his honorary son, Stephen Reed; his parents, John Wayne Reed, Sr. and James H. Jones; Rosie Lewis, with whom he shared and raised his children; his siblings, nieces and nephews; and many family members and friends whose lives were touched by his presence.

He was the eldest of eight children — Ralanda “Miss Black America” Ann Reed (Santa Clara County), Adena Reed (Seaside, CA), Caleb Reed (Elk Grove, CA), Preston Avery (Pennsylvania), Candace Jones (Natomas, CA), Johnthan Jackson (Washington), and Jason Reed (Washington).

His lifelong passion for airplanes was sparked by the many trips to the Monterey airport, where young JW and Grandma Rose would often park and watch the airplanes take off and land. This passion led to his enlistment in the United States Army, where he served his country as a Military Police specialist with the 571st MP Company at Fort Ord, California, and earned an honorable discharge. During his time in the service, he became a qualified expert with the .45 and sharpshooter with a grenade, which surprised exactly no one who knew him.

After completing his service in the United States Army, JW continued his military career by enlisting in the United States Air Force Reserves. There, he graduated from the Aeronautics Academy as a Flight Engineer and flew C-141 aircraft out of Travis Air Force Base, becoming one of the few Black men of his era to achieve such a distinction. His military experience, leadership, and lifelong passion for aviation opened the door to a successful career with United Airlines, where he became one of the company’s few Black Shift Supervisors in the mechanic division.

While JW took great pride in his professional accomplishments, his greatest lessons were often taught within his family. He played an instrumental role in the lives of his nieces and nephews, who affectionately referred to him as “The Original Major Payne” for his unconventional but memorable approach to discipline. Through equal parts tough love and wisdom, he instilled the values of respect, honor, accountability, and protection, often challenging them to think ahead with a five-year plan for their future.

JW was known for his larger-than-life personality, his colorful sayings, and the acronyms he created to motivate those around him. Perhaps the most famous was “KMMFA,” a phrase he encouraged his children to carry with them whenever anything or anyone stood in their way. To him, it was a reminder to stay determined, stand your ground, and never let anything prevent you from pursuing your goals.

Those same principles guided him throughout his professional life. A well-known and respected entrepreneur, JW was the founder and CEO of the National Live Scan Association, where he served not only as a leader, but also as a mentor, teacher, and coach to countless members of the Live Scan community and many of his friends. If you knew JW, you knew one thing for certain: he got things done. He often said that if you gave him the job, he would get it done—whether you liked his method or not. Like a man on a mission, he pursued every challenge with relentless drive, refusing to quit until the work was finished.

JW chose to live his days in style — by the ocean, birds, and planes. And like Grandma Rose, he too had his favorite big chair, much like a throne. As you all may or may not know, JW was a sci-fi fanatic. He loved Star Trek and watched series upon series with his daughters and his son. He loved the Matrix, Mission Impossible — pretty much every action-packed movie with some random sci-fi dystopian twist to it. He loved the worlds where one stubborn person bends the whole future just by refusing to quit. That was him.

But with all that fire, the thing he said the most was five simple words:

“Stop and smell the roses.”

That was our dad. A terminator on a mission who still knew when to slow down. To love on his family while they were right there in the room. To sit in the big chair, look out at the ocean, watch the birds and the planes, and smell the roses.

Please join us in remembering Mr. Reed, through this site we invite you to share your thoughts and fond memories with our family.