Barbara P. Reed

Barbara Porter Reed, of White River Junction, Vermont, died on August 30, 2024 at the Genesis Center in Lebanon, NH after a long illness. Barb was born in Hanover, NH on July 15, 1950 to Donald and Edna Reed and grew up in Orford, NH. She is survived by her sisters, Jill Lockhardt of Durham, NH and Donna Reed of Orford, and her brother, Allen Reed of Lyme.

After graduation from Orford High School, Barb studied nursing at the NH Vocational and Tech College in Claremont. She worked at Mary Hitchcock Hospital in Hanover as an LPN. In 1972, she moved to Buffalo, NY and worked at the Veterans Hospital while taking courses at SUNY at Buffalo.

Barb was an activist. She worked with the AIDS Memorial Quilt Project in the early years and continued to fight for the rights of LGBTQ people. In addition, she was active in both local and national campaigns.

When Barb returned to the Upper Valley, she worked as a caretaker for a sheep farm in Chelsea, VT for a few years, followed by jobs with Computac, Silvatech, King Arthur Flour and Fujifilm. She also volunteered with the Hartford Garden Friends for several years. She loved cats and enjoyed time with her feline friends at her home in White River Junction.

 A special thanks to Tom and Lisa Hague for being a great help to Barb through the years.

At this time, no services are planned. Donations can be made in Barb’s memory to the Upper Valley Humane Society, PO Box 789, Lebanon, NH 03766 or at www.uvhs.org. Arrangements are under the care of the Cremation Society of NH.