Cole on passing of predecessor Reid: 'Pearland lost a very special and important person responsible for shaping the great community we have today'

Pearland Mayor Kevin Cole lamented the passing of the city’s former mayor Tom Reid, calling him an “important person” in a recent post on behalf of the city. Reid, who died June 24, spent more than 40 years in public service.

“Pearland lost a very special and important person responsible for shaping the great community we have today,” Cole wrote in a June 25 City of Pearland Facebook post.

Cole said in the post about Reid, who filled the role of mayor emeritus at the time of his death, devoted 44 years of his life to the Pearland community, which he considered to be a “special place.”

According to Reid’s biography on the city’s website, he and his family moved to Pearland in 1965, and his two children were products of the Pearland public school system.

Pearland will make it its mission to continue Reid’s legacy and work to achieve the same level of dedication he had put into the community, Cole said in the Facebook post.

According to a report from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, Reid made Pearland his home as part of his work as a contractor at the nearby Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC). 

KTRK reported that he first entered municipal politics in 1973 by winning a seat on Pearland City Council. 

The station reported that Reid, who served in the Navy during World War II, was present at JSC at the time of the moon landing.

Per a report from Houston CBS affiliate KHOU, Reid served as mayor of Pearland twice, first from 1978 to 1990 and then from 1993 to 2020. 

KHOU reported that funeral arrangements for Reid are pending, while Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that there will be additional opportunities for the public to pay their respects.