Howard Edwin Reed

Howard Edwin Reed, 67, of Inola, OK passed from this life on March 5, 2026. He was born to Kyle and Mary Reed in Des Moines, IA on May 18, 1958, and grew up with 5 sisters on a farm near Minburn, IA. Howard enjoyed farming and working in his father’s business, Farm-El Services. He moved to Tulsa in the 80’s and met his perfect match. He married Peggy Reeves Scott and her sons, Jason, Justin, and John, on November 25, 1988. They moved to a farm in Inola in 1990.

Howard worked as a dispatcher for the Tulsa Fire Department for two years before attending the academy in 1984. His TFD career lasted until 2013 when he retired as EMS Shift Supervisor. He continued serving the public safety/health community with Oklahoma’s Office of Medical Director and Stryker Corporation. Dr. Jeffrey Goodloe, leader of OKC-TUL OMD, remarks that Howard “has made a lasting impact in EMS systems across North America, and for that matter, the world. We have all become wiser about what is working and not working in cardiac arrest resuscitation because of his work. He accepted a nearly impossible task in our Office of the Medical Director and not only made it possible but made us and all of the EMS professionals that we serve better.”

Howard was well-respected among his fellow firefighters. They described him as a great leader and humble, always giving credit to the men who worked for him.

Outside of his firefighting career, Howard enjoyed a lifelong fascination with trains, toiling away for the Bar V2 cattle company in Vera, and running his own agricultural spraying business.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy, three stepsons, and 5 grandchildren with another on the way: Jason and Melanie Scott (Olivia and Ava), Sapulpa, OK; Justin Scott, Tulsa, OK; and John and Rachael Scott (Aiden, Ethan, and Aubrey), Broken Arrow, OK.

His surviving siblings are Doris (Phil) Hemphill, McClave, CO; Margaret (Earl) Ratcliff, New Sharon, IA; Myrna (Dan) Beesley, Beggs, OK; and Dorothy (Mark) Harsen, Springfield, MO.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Mary Jane Swihart, and an infant brother, Bruce Edward.

We will celebrate his life with a memorial service at 1:00p on March 23, 2026, at The Tulsa Fire Museum [1010 E 8th Street, Tulsa, OK 74120]. For those who will not be wearing a fire department uniform, the family welcomes all visitors to wear overalls in a fun nod to Howard’s signature look. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the museum in honor of Howard.