Reid Clapham

Reid Foster Clapham, age 77, of Newark, Delaware passed away Tuesday, January 11, 2022. He was born in Richmond, VA, and grew up in the greater Wilmington area. After completing high school, Reid attended Wesley Junior College in Dover, DE and Union College in Barbourville, KY where he graduated in business and accounting. During the Vietnam War, Reid joined the army and proudly served as a radio dispatcher from 1968-1970. On returning home to the states, Reid moved to Newark, DE. His primary employment was at the Kraft Heinz Company warehouse where he eventually became a floor supervisor in transport operations. Later on, Reid worked in the accounting department.

In the last 15 years of his life, Reid had no remaining relatives in DE. But he was close to family in other parts of the U.S. and made a point of keeping in touch with many of them by telephone and by mail. Reid was a wonderful storyteller and his phone calls usually included anecdotes, often from his childhood. He remembered incidents in detail, made the stories interesting and obviously enjoyed telling them. He appreciated his own stories and humor as much as those of us who heard them did.

After retirement, Reid became progressively more homebound. But, interestingly, he maintained contact with others without leaving his apartment. By telephone and personal greeting of delivery people, he built and maintained community. Reid kept in touch with family and friends, financial advisors, radio talk show hosts and others. He enjoyed visiting with mail and UPS carriers and food delivery drivers. His UPS driver tells the story of how Reid shared some of the packaged chowder and salmon he had just received with him. One of his food delivery drivers, Hamid Messari, became a special friend. He provided a great deal of support for Reid over the years.

Reid was proud of the fact that he remained low-tech. He did not use a computer or cell phone. But he had a ham radio with which he listened in and occasionally spoke to long distance truckers.

Reid lived simply. But he was a generous person. He gave to veteran’s groups, his local food bank, the Boys and Girls Club and a number of other national and local organizations. He had two passions in his life – fresh and saltwater fishing in Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio and watching professional and college sports. He loved to talk sports and was a strong supporter of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phillies and the University of Delaware teams.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother Harry and Lucy Clapham and by his sister, Thirza Clapham, whom he cared for in the last years of her life. He is survived by cousins Linda Greenwood of Polson, MT and Susan Stubblefield of Missoula, MT; by cousins Andrew Clapham (Chant) and James Clapham (Michelle) of Westerly, RI; and by cousins Edward Conklin (Karen) of Westerley, RI and Elizabeth Brooks (Allen) of Houston, TX. He is also survived by cousin-in-law Patricia Crass of Micanopy, FL and by second cousins Mary Fenu (Didier) of Paris, France, Ted Crass (Sarah) of Lowell, MA, and Caroline Crass (Chuck) of Micanopy, FL. There will be a virtual memorial service for the family at a future date.

Reid had a good and kind heart and a great sense of humor. He will be missed.