Elvin Reed passes away

John Elvin Reed, 93, passed away Sunday, March 7, in his beloved hometown of Mamou. Elvin, as he was mostly known, was an active parishioner of St. Ann’s Catholic Church. According to his family, “He loved God first, then family, and then the Town of Mamou.” Elvin took pride in his hometown and was an active member of the community.
Elvin was the owner of Reed’s Pharmacy, and he was a longtime member of the Mamou Rotary Club. During the town’s bicentennial, he was named Man of the Year and Grand Marshall. He was credited for the construction of the “Mamou Cajun Capital of the World” sign.
Mayor Ricky Fontenot said, “He was a good patron for the Town of Mamou. He really cared about the Plaza. Anytime something would be wrong there, he’d call me right away. He put a lot of care into the front entrance. He was a good man, and he’s going to be sadly missed in the Town of Mamou. He cared about the town.”
Police Chief Brent Zackery said when he was first running for chief, he went to Reed’s house and spoke with him. “He invited me in and talked with me. He didn’t blow me off because I was young or anything like that. He just spoke to me, and we had a good conversation. He said, ‘I think you’ll do a good job.’” Ever since then, when Zackery would see him, Reed would smile and talk with him. “I can’t say anything bad about Mr. Elvin. He was a sweet spirit.”
Councilman Charles Reed said he remembered being a little kid and seeing all the good Elvin Reed did for Mamou. “He was a staple of this town. He was a very loved man.”
Alderwoman at Large and Mayor Pro-temp Leisa Deshotel said, “Mr. Elvin was probably one of the biggest reasons I got into community service. As a young woman I started some civic organizations, and he was always behind me and told me I was going to do good things. He was very inspirational to a lot of people in this community. There’s not many big things that were done in the past that he was not part of. We’re going to miss him.”
Funeral services for Reed were held Thursday, March 11. He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Nary Tate Reed; two sons, Gary Reed and John Reed; three daughters, Phyllis Vidrine, Roni Fruge, and Mia McDaniel; thirteen grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.