Belmont councilman loses battle with cancer at age 50

Mayor Charles Stone said he is devastated by Belmont’s loss, but took solace in the courage Reed displayed in continuing to wholeheartedly serve the city while undergoing cancer treatment as mayor and in the following year. Stone said Reed’s leadership in developing the city’s Belmont Village specific plan and the first update of its general plan since 1982 and was a driving force behind Davey Glen Park and the city’s first veterans memorial. Both the park and the memorial were unveiled earlier this year after months of planning. Stone noted the fall opening of the Crystal Springs Uplands School’s campus for middle school students, which Reed supported as a member of the Planning Commission and later on the City Council, as yet another of Reed’s many achievements.

“He has left an indelible mark upon the city and has a legacy that will last for generations,” he said.

For Councilman Warren Lieberman, who worked with Reed when he was a planning commissioner as well as a fellow councilmember, Reed’s tenure on the council marked a shift in the way elected officials and residents work with each other to get things done. Lieberman acknowledged the wide range of initiatives in which Reed played a role, but said his deep respect for everyone he worked with made him truly unique.

“One of Eric’s truly incredible qualities was his humanity,” he said. “He felt for others, he took their struggles personally, he felt them personally, he could empathize with folks who were struggling … he was not only a pleasure to work with on the council, he was incredibly responsive and caring to the community.”

Tim Hoffman, a friend of Reed’s since they met at Menlo-Atherton High School some 35 years ago, was treasurer of Reed’s 2013 City Council campaign, when he was the top vote-getter, as well as his 2011 race for a council seat, when he lost by 11 votes. Hoffman said Reed was determined to lend a new perspective to Belmont’s City Hall, one that was sensitive to the growing population of young families in the city. He watched as Reed redoubled his efforts for the 2013 election, keeping Belmont families a priority throughout both his campaigns.

Though Reed had strong convictions about what the city’s future could look like, he never failed to consider as many perspectives as he could on every issue, said Hoffman.

“He wanted to make sure when he was campaigning that he listened to everybody, he listened to all perspectives,” he said. “He knew how to build bridges and never to burn them.”

Eric Laurence Reed was born Nov. 11, 1967, on the East Coast. He grew up in Portola Valley and is survived by his wife, Laura Reed, and his sons, Nicholas Reed and Jacob Reed. His survivors also include his mother, Loverine Taylor of Portola Valley, his father, Larry Reed of Foster City and Ian Reed, his brother who lives in Portola Valley.

Hoffman said Reed and his wife were high school sweethearts and both attended college at UC Santa Cruz after they graduated from Menlo-Atherton High School with him in 1986. He remembered becoming fast friends with Reed, who he described as universally liked by his classmates.

“You couldn’t come away from even a simple interaction with Eric without knowing he’d be a great friend,” he said.

Hoffman said Reed began work at Genentech not long after he graduated from college and continued to work there for more than 20 years. Though he enjoyed playing tennis, Reed was focused on his role as a father to his sons, Nicholas Reed, a sophomore in high school, and Jacob Reed, a fourth-grader, said Hoffman.

Stone said he remembered Reed as a Little League and soccer coach for his sons’ teams, as well as a parent volunteer for a local 4-H chapter. Though Reed had been undergoing cancer treatment for the duration of his term as mayor, Stone remembered he only missed one meeting during his term to watch one of his sons sing the national anthem at AT&T Park in San Francisco.

Stone said it wasn’t until he and Reed had campaigned together in 2013 that he came to understand how special he a person was, adding that the one thing that separated Reed from others was his belief in the good in everybody. He remembered how Reed would meet with people who had previously disagreed with him to understand their perspectives.

“He would find a way to make them feel heard,” he said. “That’s a very rare a thing in a human being.”

Those wishing to help preserve Reed’s legacy can donate funds toward a project to build new facilities at the Barrett Community Center. Donations can be sent to City Manager Greg Scoles at City Hall, 1 Twin Pines Lane.

anna@smdailyjournal.com

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