At 7:04 am today, Reed Wahlquist, the best man I have ever known, departed this life. (His obituary can be accessed here).
My dad was my hero. Always calm and steady. Always loving and compassionate. Always teaching. Always leading by example.
Dad lived a beautiful life- not a life where everything in his life was beautiful (if such a life is even possible). But in his life, everything and everyone he touched was left better than he found it.
Dad was a servant. He taught English to refugees at the humanitarian center and lovingly worked with teens at the Juvenile Detention Center. He worked with missionaries- after serving his own in Sweden- and at the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He quietly paid for many young men and women to serve their own mission. His financial records are full of donations to causes he loved and supported, including humanitarian, environmental, and educational.
He was a historian. Dad carefully read over 3,000 books in his life- mostly LDS church history- and catalogued the quotes he found most relevant into a massive church topical guide covering hundreds of topics. At last count, his guide was over 27,000 pages in length. He made it freely available as a resource to others at ReedWahlquist.com.
Dad was a veteran. Always fiercely proud of his country, he served in the Korean War though the war ended a day before he was to be deployed. He remained in service for another 18 months stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Dad was gay. He grew up in a time where that wasn’t accepted or tolerated, and he struggled to know what that meant for him. But he loved my mom with all his heart and was always fully faithful, he loved the church and wouldn’t miss a Sunday, and he said that having his three boys was the best blessing of his life. I am so happy that he and many others helped pave the way for a world where it is easier to be gay.
Dad was an educator. Educated himself at Harvard University, he dedicated his life to teaching and working as a principal. He opened Cottonwood High School and Bacchus Elementary. We frequently came across his former students on family trips (even in Alaska) or at the grocery store, movies, or sporting events. Universally, those students would have a clear memory of something dad had done to help them in their life in a meaningful way.
He was my father. He was my hero. I can’t begin to describe how much I will miss him.
Dad’s funeral will be held at the Eastridge Ward (5235 S. Wesley Rd, Murray, UT) on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at 11:00 am.
- Brian Wahlquist, Son
