James T. Reid (Jim), 86, passed peacefully at Rush Medical Center in Chicago on March 10, 2022, following a 3-month struggle to recover from brain surgery after an unexpected fall.

It's not typical to speak of an 86-year-old's life being cut short, but Jim was no typical 86-year-old. Jim loved meeting new people, seeing new places, and celebrating life. In his 80's, he was still a fixture at the Lyric Opera, Chicago Bulls games and Stanford football games. He and his wife, Karen, traveled the world, often with their three daughters and grandchildren. Their home is adorned with photos of Jim riding horses, camels, and elephants, snorkeling exotic waters, sightseeing the wonders of the world and its greatest cities, and exploring rainforests, mountains, and savannahs, camera always in hand. He lived an extraordinary life, filled with an enviable community of friends and family. Kind-hearted, generous, trustworthy, and gracious, Jim was adamantly old-school. He was both sociable and affable by nature, and added friends on a daily basis. And if Jim called you friend, it was never shallow. He was loyal for life.

Jim was born on May 27, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan, to Zelma Hokin Reid Hansen and Thomas James Reid, who resided at the time in Sarnia, Ontario. The family moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 1937, and then to Chicago in 1940 when Jim was 5 years old. But Jim was a Chicagoan, through and through. He attended Harvard School for Boys in Hyde Park, IL from second grade through high school graduation in 1952. The same faces beside Jim in his elementary and high school yearbooks appear again in his wedding photos, and yet again in albums from his 40th, 50th, and even 80th birthday celebrations. After high school, Jim headed west to Stanford University where in 1956 he graduated with a B.A. in Economics and an ever widening circle of lifelong friends. Jim was a proud member of the Stanford Chapter of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. A loyal alum, Jim was at every reunion. You could always find him cheering in the stands at the Big Game in Palo Alto, and tailgating with his motorhome at the annual Stanford-Notre Dame game in South Bend. Jim went on to earn an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1957. After graduation, he joined the 33rd Battalion of the United States Army Finance Corps, and served 6-months active service and 5 ½ years Army National Reserves.

On March 1, 1958, Jim officially started his career at Century Steel Corporation, where he was President and grew the company into one of the largest steel distributors in the United States. On July 7, 1962, he married the girl next door, Karen Campbell, the daughter of Judge William J. Campbell and Marie Cloherty Campbell. She would be his loving wife of 60 years. In 1964, Karen and Jim moved to Flossmoor where they raised their three daughters, Christina, Colleen, and Laurie. Jim valued family above all else. He adored his wife, and treasured his girls. And there was nothing he wouldn't do for even the most distant of relatives. In Flossmoor, Jim created a rich and meaningful life for his loving family. He became an avid golfer and tennis player, and he and Karen loved to entertain, making many more lifelong friends. Jim and his family also enjoyed time at their second home in Wellington, Florida, at the Palm Beach Polo and Country Club.

Over the course of his successful career, Jim served as President of the Association of Steel Distributors, and was named Steel Man of the Year. In December of 2004, after nearly 50 years at the helm of Century Steel, Jim retired and sold the company. He and Karen moved back to Chicago, and resumed their active city life full of family, friends, and charitable and cultural activities. Jim spent his time staying active, traveling, attending symphonies, operas, and Chicago sporting events, serving on corporate and philanthropic boards, and dedicating himself to deepening those many friendships, far and wide, that he held so dear.

Jim is survived by his wife, Karen Campbell Reid; his three daughters, Christina Reid Dickerson of San Carlos, CA, Colleen Campbell Reid of Ojai, CA, and Laurie Marie Reid (Nicholas Menaker) of Menlo Park, CA; his three grandchildren, John Wyatt Dickerson of San Francisco, CA, Jamie Thomas Rush of Denver, CO, and Erin Campbell Rush of Littleton, CO. Jim also leaves behind scores of beloved in-laws, nieces and nephews, as well his sister, Valerie Reid Shubik. He is pre-deceased by his parents, Thomas James Reid and Zelma Hokin Reid Hansen, and Zelma's husband Robert Hansen, and his sister Audrey Reid Nelson.

At the request of the family, there will be no calling hours. A private burial is being held at the convenience of the family. Michalik Funeral Home 1056 West Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642 is assisting Jim's family with the arrangements. A memorial will be held this summer, where family and friends will all be invited to celebrate Jim's extraordinary life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Jim's memory to Save the Children's "Children's Emergency Fund" , www.savethechildren.org , which supports displaced children of the war in Ukraine, and asks that you join them in their prayers for peace. Kindly let the family know if you have made a donation in Jim's honor. We are most grateful.

Please offer online condolences or share memories and anecdotes on Jim's guestbook below.

For further information please call 312-421-0936.