The illustrious "Mr. O"
David John Reed “Mr. O”
By Chris Bonham with photo provided by the Reed family
Legacy. It is a word that invokes the images of gods and kings; great men throughout history who have shaped the world to be what it is today. But legacy is not just a word reserved for men and women who have become household names. Everybody leaves behind a legacy, whether it is the actions of the year past and how we affected others, or the way in which we live our lives that will affect generations to come long after we are gone.
Those things that can have a lasting effect on people can be as simple as having an infectious smile and warm laugh. It can mean pursuing a dream of climbing all of Colorado’s beautiful 14ers. Or, it could be something like having a love of music. All of these things describe the legacy of “Mr. O.”
David John Reed moved to the Castle Pines community in 1994, along with his wife Tammy. Their three children were born after the family moved to Colorado, and they’ve called Castle Pines home their whole lives.
Reed had always been a very well-respected and well-liked member of the medical profession, and early on in his career he was asked to join in founding a company called Aspen Healthcare Metrics with one of his good friends. In June 2011, Reed celebrated his 20th year as the senior vice president of Aspen Metrics.
It was there that Reed earned the nickname “Mr. Optimistic,” or “Mr. O.” In addition to his work, Reed was also a dedicated family man and an avid golfer – once hitting a hole-in-one during a round of the game.
In February 2008, the Reed family endured the shocking news of David’s diagnosis with lung cancer. For many people, this would have been the end of the story, but it was only another step for Reed. His unshakable joy was evident, even through this tragedy. Through the years leading up to Reed’s passing on the snowy morning of November 2, 2011, his family and friends knew him for the compassionate, friendly man that he was. They say that he “knew no stranger.”
This is the legacy of David John Reed, a man whose optimism and character has been an example to the people of the Castle Pines community for more than a decade. As we mourn the loss of this great man, let it also inspire those of us who are left here on earth to consider the legacy that we will one day leave.
