{"id":32872,"date":"2026-03-29T13:19:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T19:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/?post_type=case&p=32872"},"modified":"2026-04-13T10:14:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T16:14:51","slug":"george-m-butch-reed-age-78-of-helena","status":"publish","type":"case","link":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/obituaries\/george-m-butch-reed-age-78-of-helena\/","title":{"rendered":"George M. “Butch” Reed, age 78, of Helena"},"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":{"0":"post-32872","1":"case","2":"type-case","3":"status-publish","5":"entry","6":"has-post-thumbnail"},"acf":[],"fields":{"first_name":"George","middle_name":"Michael","last_name":"Reed","date_born":"04\/01\/1947","date_died":"03\/29\/2026","age":"78","city":"Helena","state":"Montana","full_obituary_text":"

George (Butch) Reed<\/strong><\/p>\n

George (Butch) Michael Reed, born April 1, 1947, in Chicago to George D. Reed and Catherine (Lange) Reed, died peacefully on March 29, 2026, just days before his 79th birthday.<\/p>\n

His family moved from Streator, Illinois to Montana when he was seven, and he lived here for the remainder of his life.<\/p>\n

Early in life and in his youth, Butch was often seen riding his bicycle all over town, a testament to his adventurous spirit and active nature. As a young boy, he spent much of his time to helping his grandparents with chores on their chicken farm in the Helena Valley which not only taught him the value of hard work but also gave him a sense of responsibility at an early age.<\/p>\n

In his teenage years, Butch could be quite mischievous. One memorable incident was when he left for Missoula without informing anyone, prompting his mother and sister to spend the night searching for him.<\/p>\n

He joined the United States Army on October 14, 1966, and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington where the rain was so relentless that he volunteered to go to Vietnam to escape it. He served in Vietnam for about a year and earned the Bronze Star Medal. Story has it that before leaving for the service, he threw a party where the keg exploded, leading him to clean up the mess with a toothbrush.<\/p>\n

After leaving the Army in 1968, he spent his life working on gas pumps, operating heavy equipment, and driving trucks, but his real passion was working on Volkswagens.<\/p>\n

Butch was one of the hardest working and kindest people. No matter what he was doing he would drop it and come help anyone. He would give anyone that needed it the shirt off his back.<\/p>\n

Butch\u2019s heart was filled with deep gratitude for the companionship of his many friends and wonderful neighbors. He treasured their unwavering kindness and support, which brightened his days and provided comfort during both moments of joy and times of challenge. Every gesture of help and generosity meant the world to him, reflecting the strength of the bonds he built within his community. Butch was profoundly thankful for the presence of these caring individuals, whose acts of kindness left an enduring mark on his life and whose friendship he appreciated beyond measure.<\/p>\n

To count one or two true friends is to be among the luckiest, and Butch truly was. His friendship with Tom Isle and Dwayne Zander went far beyond casual connection, they became brothers in spirit, fellow travelers through life\u2019s twists and turns. The years working alongside Dwayne grew into a deep and unwavering bond, one that welcomed Dwayne\u2019s wife Vicky into the fold as well. Their steadfast companionship and loyalty enriched Butch\u2019s days with laughter, support, and a sense of belonging that only the dearest friends can provide.<\/p>\n

In 2016, after what was years of subtle (and not-so-subtle) persuasion, Butch finally got Bev, the love of his life, to say \u201cI do.\u201d For Bev, he was truly the love of her life, and she happily became his wife. The last decade became a victory lap for Butch, who proved that persistence pays off, especially in matters of the heart. Together, they celebrated nearly ten years as husband and wife, with Butch basking in the glory of having finally sealed the deal.<\/p>\n

He is preceded in death by his parents and grandparents. He is survived by his wife Beverly, sister Marie Spurzem (Jack), children Michael Reed (Annie), Melissa Jackson (Tyson), Robert Reed (Katherine), Tammy Reich (Donald), Tanna Bogle (Rick \u201cBuddy\u201d), along with 12 grandchildren: Alara, Kenzie, Dylan and Gus (Michael\u2019s kids), Kyle and Stephanie (Melissa\u2019s kids), Matthew and Ryan (Robert\u2019s kids), Derek (Tammy\u2019s son), Matthew, Joey, and Ashley (Tanna\u2019s kids), and 12 great-grandchildren all of whom he dearly loved.<\/p>\n

Deep appreciation goes out to the ICU team at Fort Harrison VA Medical Center, everyone at Cooney Healthcare and Rehabilitation, as well as Monica and the Stillwater Hospice group for their unwavering support.<\/p>\n","photo":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/George-M-Reed.jpg","youtube_video_url":"","service_status":"public","event_title1":"Celebration of His Life","event_date1":"2026-04-18","start_time1":"11:00 a.m.","end_time1":"When it Ends","location1":"V.F.W. Post 10010 (Lower Level)","address1":"117 West Main Street","city1":"East Helena","state1":"Montana","zipcode1":"59635","event_title2":"","event_date2":"","start_time2":"","end_time2":"","location2":"","address2":"","city2":"","state2":"","zipcode2":"","event_title3":"","event_date3":"","start_time3":"","end_time3":"","location3":"","address3":"","city3":"","state3":"","zipcode3":"","event_title4":"","event_date4":"","start_time4":"","end_time4":"","location4":"","address4":"","city4":"","state4":"","zipcode4":"","event_title5":"","event_date5":"","start_time5":"","end_time5":"","location5":"","address5":"","city5":"","state5":"","zipcode5":"","event_title6":"","event_date":"","start_time6":"","end_time6":"","location6":"","address6":"","city6":"","state6":"","zipcode6":"","event_title7":"","event_date7":"","start_time7":"","end_time7":"","location7":"","address7":"","city7":"","state7":"","zipcode7":"","event_title8":"","event_date8":"","start_time8":"","end_time8":"","location8":"","address8":"","city8":"","state8":"","zipcode8":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case\/32872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32872"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helenafuneralhome.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}