Memories of M. Reid Bush

In memory of

M. Reid Bush

Honey Brook, PA, USA

August 8, 1941 - May 13, 2020

Aug 8, 1941 - May 13, 2020

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James Iademarco

We miss you Reid. He and I would try to talk every two weeks leading up to his passing and that has left a void. I have many memories and keep a swiss army knife , a gift that could date back to early 80's which represented who Reid was...a jack of many trades, skills and always a teacher. Missed you also at the Penn Chater reunion which i attended this year and recall you at the one five years ago. Glad you made that one! Love, James

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Daniel Orlow

I have a son now in 9th grade, same year I had "Mr. Bush" for biology. His good instruction was and remains better than riches. Only just now learning of his passing and am sorry to have never properly said thank you.

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William (Billy) Lesser

Reid was a grandfather to me. He taught my father, Bill Lesser at the Penn Charter school, and was close to our family ever since.

Many childhood through adult holidays were spent with Reid coming down to our house and bringing with him his wit, insight and kind nature.

2.5 years on and I still miss him dearly. There are many times I go to reach for my phone to call him to bring him up to speed on my latest automotive endeavor or project I’m messing around with, or perhaps on some insight as to the current state of the world, only to stop short and realize I cannot.

Miss you Bushman.

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Kenneth Bennett

Tried to call Reid this evening on my way home as it has been close to 2 months since we last spoke, I called him with my concern of Covid and tried to advise him to stay low for awhile. Always enjoyed our lengthy conversations on the way home from work to catch up with one another. His cell said not a working #. Immediately thought he disconnected the service to be more frugal (lol) and proceeded to call his home and got the message that it was a non working #. I immediately pulled over into a parking lot and grabbed my iPad, started to tear up and found the dreadful news that the “Bush Man” has left this earth for eternal rest. I cannot begin to put what I am feeling into words as eloquently as he would but below is what he meant to me.
Second Father, Brother, Mentor and most of all one of my dearest Best Friends for 36 years! I met Reid in 1984 helping get the camp ready for the summer activities that where about to be embarked upon for that summer. Under his tutelage I rebuilt an out house roof with him, operated skill saws, drills, table saws, etc. I was in my glory, I just loved building things and Reid was so ever pleased to share his knowledge in such a awesome engaging way. We fed off of one another in a loving and inspirational way. He was always so supportive and was always eager to share verbally how proud he was of me. And likewise in return I always reciprocated in saying how grateful and proud of him that I was of him! This earth needs more people like him, he definitely made it better and touched so many through the years in positive ways. I was introduced to Steve and Mary, Mack the frog guy, Jimmy I, The eccentric cook (Tom I believe was his name) living in a tree house that he built from used lumber, the old ford pick up with 3 on the tree, etc.....
I guess Reid thought I had some skills or liked the friendship we were developing and just like Jimmy Iademarco I was up helping him at his Mennonite abode. He then became a great mentor to my children whenever he visited for a couple of days. I fondly remember inviting him to our farm to join in grafting some scion to some crab apple trees that were growing on the farm with me and my son Tyler. He eagerly agreed to come out for a visit, we had such an awesome day with one another. He will be missed by all that knew him and all that did not know him for he touched countless others exponentially just by knowing someone that he touched positively. Now that is a legacy that we all should strive for!
I terribly miss my Second Father, Brother, Mentor and most of all one of my dearest Best Friends for 36 years! God Bless until we see each other again!

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Comments:

Bruce Kuznicki

Thank you for this, Kenneth. I've known Reid since about as long as you have; he was my Big Brother from ... Read more Thank you for this, Kenneth. I've known Reid since about as long as you have; he was my Big Brother from the Big Brothers program..... Read more Thank you for this, Kenneth. I've known Reid since ... Read more

John Siegfried

With great sadness that I found the passing of my dear friend, I have had the pleasure to know Reid for 40 years, Reid referred to me as his lawn boy. I started working for Reid maintaining his residence in Silverdale, PA. where I now reside myself after buying his house. A great man in many ways that I had the honor of knowing.

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James Iademarco

While I have too many stories to tell about my high-school biology professor, school advisor, early mentor, and long-time friend, I will share one or two you may not know about Reid Bush. (Reid is actually his middle name) As many have already written, Reid was a teacher and mentor to many students during his 20 year tenure at PC. And while Reid did not coach a sport at PC to my recollection, he was a remarkable educator on and off the field. For me, besides being an outstanding advisor and biology professor, which contributed to my pursuit of biomedical and chemical engineering, Reid gave me skills that would later serve me throughout my career. Now if you knew Reid well, you knew that he was a simple man and not one to spend money on frivolous things like clothes, haircuts, or fancy restaurants. He was known to cut his own hair telling me once " How hard can it be for what they charge?" During high-school, he gave kids the opportunity to work on summer renovation projects at his 100 + year old Mennonite home. Now for starters, one must be a little crazy to allow groups of unskilled high-school kids renovate your home. Some kids would last a day, some a week, and others, for the entire summer. While I thought he was teaching me light construction skills like tiling, wood-working, uncoupling lead pipes using an oxy-acetylene torch (I know, hard to believe to this day!), he was teaching me and others how to solve problems. Frugal or ingenious? it remains a mystery, but his house was a classroom away from the classroom. During my 4 years at PC, Reid drove a Mercedes diesel which in some respects did not fit his frugal image. But if you dig deeper, Reid appreciated the high-quality machinery and diesel was more cost effective at the time. What you may not know is he had an underground car pit that allowed him to service his car without needing a hydraulic lift. My brothers and I helped him excavate a huge 10 x 10 foot hole and build an interior cinder block walk allowing one to work underneath the Mercedes... a funny memory that has stayed with me for 45 years. Frugal or Ingenious?

Wallpaper was expensive back in the late 70's on a teacher's salary, and I recall his Mennonite house having 15 rooms throughout the 3 floor home. So, being an avid map collector (a AAA and Rand McNally supporter) , he had us wall paper several rooms in maps. (I have to find the picture!) Frugal or Ingenious?

He had a beautiful view of his barns from a second-floor window. Wallpaper was expensive in the 70's as I said. He commissioned a PC art major (John Rogers if I recall) to paint the beautiful scenery on the largest wall in the room. Frugal or Ingenious? I say maybe both, but Reid Bush's driving motivation was first and foremost educating others’, giving students a chance to learn new skills and allowing them to go on and accomplish great things. Reid was one of the smartest people I knew. Someone who understood the fundamentals of so many topics that allowed him to solve problems, a unique gift that defined his generosity, character, and contributions to others. In closing, I miss my friend. We spoke monthly over recent years, and we enjoyed a nice conversation three days before he died. We never know when the last last time will be we speak with a loved one. But I feel in peace, because on that Sunday and many before it, we made sure each knew what we meant to each other. God Bless you Reid.

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Bruce Kuznicki

Comments:

John Roemer IV

That's sweet way to capture Reid's personality and influence. He taught with my father at Friends School... Read more That's sweet way to capture Reid's personality and influence. He taught with my father at Friends School in Baltimore in the... Read more That's sweet way to capture Reid's personality and... Read more

Don Campbell

Penn Charter, Philadelphia

As a young teacher, Reid taught me many things. He took an interest in his students and connected. He reached out to parents and got to know the family. He invited me to be part of many wonderful times with students. Canoe trips, camping trips, driving across the US, in every case with students who were treated as an important part of the team. His ability to observe nature and see things that I missed. Hear a bird chirp and tell you what it was. Identify plants and share info on which were edible. These are memories of Reid. He was an excellent organizer. He was a great mentor and friend. I will miss him.

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Steve Kron

I have to smile when I think of Reid Bush. Reid's guidance and style helped shape my career. His lasting gift was teaching me how to be a mentor. Reid treated me as a future colleague, not simply a student. Clearly headed into biology by 9th grade, Reid's reaction was to avoid structure and encourage a naturalist's approach, meaning individual exploration with no particular goal, leaving me to draw dissections and images from microscopes. His message was to pursue your curiosity first and not worry about validation until later. As a teacher and mentor, I have tried to follow his lead, although I cannot begin to match his patience, gentle approach, serenity or his complete and total coolness. Thank you for all you did for me and my students.

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