Reed Jones Hubbard

One of the hardest working and inexhaustible men has just passed. This past Monday, November 16th, Reed Jones Hubbard passed away in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, his favorite place on earth. During an attempt to reach his cabin, unfortunately his truck got stuck in snow before he made it there. Ever the “I can solve this guy” that he was, but because of the limitations of Parkinsons (something he never fully accepted), he fell while trying to walk out before, ultimately, succumbing to the elements.

Reed was born on 19 September 1935 in Wellsville, Utah. He was the fourth of six children born to Ernest Benjamin Hubbard and Pearl Haslem Jones. Right from the start, his life was occupied with chores, and also, along with his older brother, Dee, taking on tasks that usually require the work of full-grown men. There and then he developed the work ethic he was widely known for, but in the process, he also learned how to do and repair a wide variety of things. That ability continued to manifest the rest of his life, and with the exception of computers and smartphones, which constantly stymied him, he faced every kind of mechanical and construction situation with a confidence that he could figure out what to do.

One magical day when he was eighteen, while picking cherries in an orchard in Perry, Utah, he met the beautiful Zella Jean Ault, his future wife. They were married in 1956 in the Logan Temple and enjoyed 54 years together until her passing in August 2010. Together, they served a challenging but rewarding LDS mission to Adelaide, Australia, and then later as branch president and Relief Society president in the Barton Creek Branch in Bountiful. They enjoyed traveling and doing many things together, including a vacation that featured a harrowing but largely enjoyable drive from Utah to Alaska, where they visited many of that state’s remarkable areas. For many years, they square danced with the Rainbow Squares, and for a decade or more were active members of the Good Sams RV and service club.

Reed happily served for many years as scoutmaster for the troop in the Bountiful 28th Ward. Among his many callings to serve in the church, Reed was an elder’s quorum president, bishopric counselor, and high councilor in addition to his service at Barton Creek.

Reed had two careers. The first, which lasted 30 years, was with Mountain Bell, working his way up from the bottom to eventually become the facilities manager over several buildings. He followed that with ten years working for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the manager of quite a few of its buildings in Davis County, Utah.

Reed and Jean had two children, Curtis Reed Hubbard and Lorri Jean Hubbard Wotherspoon. From that beginning, their brood grew to include seven grandchildren and twelve great-grands.

After more than a year living alone, Reed met and married Joan Baldwin in late 2011. Together they completed a service mission to the church-owned Cinnamon Creek campground. They also enjoyed traveling, including a cruise to Alaska, road trips to church history sites as well as Bamff in Canada, and living in southern Utah during the winter. They enjoyed 8.5 years together until Joan’s sudden passing just a few months ago. Since Joan’s death, he has lived primarily with daughter, Lorri, and her husband, Dan Wotherspoon.

When he wasn’t working, Reed’s great passions involved the outdoors, with special affection for fishing, snowmobiling, and off-roading. And, of course, also spending time at his property in Lava Hot Springs, which he bought some 35 years ago and worked to improve each year. In addition to serving happily any and all who asked for his help with home or car maintenance issues, Reed was stubborn, determined, and spontaneous-all traits that are both admirable as well as often infuriating.

Reed was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Pearl, and three sisters, Arda Mae Kidman, Dorothy Bradshaw, and Mary Shawhan. His daughter-in-law, Wendy Pace Hubbard, also passed just a couple of weeks before him.

He is survived by brothers Ernest Dee Hubbard and Ferris Jay Hubbard, as well as his children Curt Hubbard and Lorri (Dan) Wotherspoon, grandchildren Devin (Leslee) Hubbard, Megan (Chad) Christensen, Alexander Wotherspoon, Nicole (Brady) Jensen, Kerstin (Jordan) Bennett, Hope (Ben) Medley, and Colton (Sidney) Hubbard.

The Hubbard family would also like to offer a special thank you for the warm and enduring welcome and affection he enjoyed as part of the Baldwin clan, Joan’s children, grandchildren, and more. He truly loved being part of your lives, including chances to at last experience a taste of dairy farming, his first career intention.

Graveside services for Reed will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, November 21st at the Bountiful City Cemetery (2224 South 200 West). Prior to the service, a viewing will be held from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at  Russon Mortuary, (295 North Main, Bountiful). Following these, Reed will then be interred next to his beloved Jean, just half a block west of Reed and Jean’s original home.

In addition to being able to attend the viewing in person (which will feature good Covid-19 protections and social distancing measures) you may also attend Reed’s viewing and graveside service virtually on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Russon-Mortuary-Crematory  The Hubbards also welcome you to share fun stories, memories, and/or reflections on Reed’s remarkable life at www.russonmortuary.com.