Frederick Edgar Reed, Jr. MD, 76, of Charleston SC, husband of
Grace Dugas Battey Reed, passed away peacefully at home on
Thursday, December 12, 2019. Family will receive friends at home at 65
Lenwood Blvd in Charleston on Monday, December 16, 2019 from 4:00
to 7:00 pm. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 4, 2020
at 2:00 pm at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church, 53 Meeting Street.
Interment will be private.
Son of the late Frederick Edgar Reed and Jean Cochran Reed, Rick
was born in Greenwood SC and grew up in nearby Greenville. He
attended Greenville High School and completed premedical studies at
Davidson College. After obtaining his MD at the Medical University of
SC, Rick went on to surgical residencies at Georgia Baptist and Scottish
Rite Hospitals, followed by a fellowship in Scoliosis and Sports
Medicine at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Boston. After
completing his training, he entered national service and served active
duty as a member of the US Navy Medical Corps during the Vietnam
era.
Over the years Dr. Reed served his profession, his community, his
church and his country with distinction. During a medical career
spanning nearly four decades, Rick served as Clinical Professor of
Orthopaedics and Pediatrics at MUSC, practiced on the staffs of Roper,
St. Francis and East Cooper hospitals, and was also active in private
practice.
He touched countless lives in his years of caring for the children of the
Lowcountry. His clinical focus encompassed all aspects of
musculoskeletal care, from infants to young adults. His orthopedic
expertise and passion for early intervention led to his co-designing the
Charleston Bending Brace, a breakthrough nonsurgical treatment for
childhood scoliosis, as well as promoting its use internationally. He was
also proficient in the management of other childhood deformities,
including clubfoot, and helped train healthcare professionals in proper
casting techniques.
Rick’s dedication to orthopedic health in children was reflected in his
own life-long commitment to health and fitness. He played tennis and
basketball for Davidson while pursuing pre-medical studies there. He
enjoyed hiking in the mountains of North Carolina where he maintained
a much beloved cabin. In recent years he became an avid pickleball
player and helped spread its popularity throughout the Lowcountry, even
donating the funds to build one of the first public pickleball courts on the
peninsula. Rick brought an infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy
to his many pastimes, and cherished the many friendships he made
through those activities.
Professional positions included the role of President for: the SC
Orthopaedic Association, Michael Hoke Orthopaedic Society,
Charleston Orthopaedic Society, and Charleston County Medical
Society. He also served on various boards and committees for the
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, South Carolina Medical
Association, Southern Orthopaedic Association, and the South Carolina
Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness. Over the course of his career he
published numerous articles and policy statements, participated in
multiple research projects, and received many awards, including the Roe
Award for the best article published in the Journal of the SCMA. He also
founded and was director of the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit at Roper
Hospital.
Rick served his community in a myriad of ways, such as donating his
time to ensure the health of student athletes through preparticipation
physical exams. For many years he served as the team physician for the
College of Charleston men’s basketball team. He was also honored as
the SCMA’s Physician of the Year for Community Service, received the
Family Medicine Physician Teaching Award, as well as the Service
Award from the Committee on Sports Medicine and Fitness of the
American Academy of Pediatrics. In addition, he helped champion the
building of a safe and handicap-accessible playground at Brittlebank
Park.
For more than a decade, Rick made an annual trip to Haiti to share his
medical knowledge and expertise. He was also one of the first American
doctors to enter Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 2010.
He was a strong supporter of many local organizations, including the
Coastal Conservation League, the Charleston Library Society, and the
Native Plant Society, and was a member of the Widows and Orphans
Society, Scottish Society, and the Waring Library Society.
Rick was an Elder at First (Scots) Presbyterian Church and, besides
chairing and serving on a number of committees over the years, he
cherished his role there as a Youth Advisor and Sunday School teacher.
He was a community activist dedicated to environmental causes and was
recently honored in a special town council proclamation for service to
his beloved Sullivans Island, where he dedicated his energy and
financial resources to many island-area conservation efforts. He also
advocated passionately for health and wellness, promoting programs
such as the Roper St. Francis Community Health Initiative for Obesity
Prevention in Children.
He is survived by his wife of Charleston; two daughters, Christine Ellen
Reed (Vaughn Johnson) of Oakland CA, and Lee Cochran Reed of
Charleston SC; one son, Daniel Cochran Reed (Mandy Swann) of
Roanoke VA; one sister, Katherine Reed Harmon (Lawrence) of Salem
SC; and three brothers, Benjamin Allen Reed (Martha), John William
Reed (Gretchen), and Timothy Cochran Reed (Susan), all of whom
reside in Greenville SC.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one Rick’s favorite
organizations: Charleston Parks Conservancy, Coastal Conservation
League, The Spirit of Charleston, Charleston Library Society, or First
(Scots) Presbyterian Church (Youth Activity Fund).