Ronald Reed (1968-2022) made people feel welcome

Ronald LeRoy Reed, 53 of Durand, IL passed away Monday, February 14, 2022 in a head-on collision in Rockton Township.

The fatal accident occurred at the intersection of Bates Road and Freeport Road (75), between Harrison and Rockton, not far from Phillips Cemetery, shortly before 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. Both drivers were killed, one of them 25 years old Kevin Williams, of Lindenhurst, Illinois.

About 65 miles away, while working a missing persons report, police went to Williams' home, near Egret Court in Lindenhurst, IL, northwest of Waukegan. Parked in his driveway, they found the car of his 25 year old girlfriend, Kelly Hedmark of Algonquin. They found Hedmark dead inside the house.

According to WREX, police have a "strong theory" that, after Hedmark was murdered, Williams deliberately swerved his gray Ford Focus into the other lane, causing Ron's Dodge Ram truck to overturn. Winnebago County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident along with Lindenhurst police and the Lake County Major Crime Task Force. They have not said why they think Williams was in Rockton Township.

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Ronald Reed was born June 27, 1968 in Moline, IL the son of Gerald Reed and Lyla Taylor. Ron graduated from Argenta-Oreana High School in 1986. Ron entered into the U.S. Army right after high school, serving during Desert Storm. He later earned a bachelors in Avionic Engineering from Southern Illinois University. He was employed by Chrysler Corp at the Belvidere Assembly Plant for over 10 years. He was a member of the Zoning Board for the Village of Durand. Ron enjoyed fishing, ice fishing, kayaking, and everything outdoors, as well as spending time with his family and friends.

A former co-worker at Motorola writes that Ron "was great at making people feel like they fit in." She once remarked to him that she thought her toes were strange. Since he knew that both of them had lived in trailers at one point, he told her they were "just an evolutionary response to my trailer park childhood," to help her hold on during a tornado.

Survivors include his partner Staci, son Kobe; daughter Kayla; mother Lyla (Terry) Taylor; father Jerry (Carrie) Reed; sister Lisa (Shawn) Steinbach; sister Teri Fulton; former wife Tammy Reed; numerous aunts, one uncle. He was predeceased by his grandparents.

A visitation will be held Sunday, February 20, 2022 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in McCorkle Funeral Home- Durand Chapel, 101 W. Main St., Durand, IL 61024.  WIFR reports that friends and family gathered in his honor Thursday afternoon at Hogs and Hydrants in Durand.