Tulsa mourns the loss of beloved community leader and mentor Coach Keith Reed

TULSA, OKLA (KTUL) — Heartbreaking news: Keith Reed, one of Tulsa’s beloved figures, has passed away. Reed is the founder of the Community Foundation.

“Coach Reed,” as many call him, has made it his life mission to instill love and life skills in Tulsa’s youth.

He passed away suddenly on Thursday, causing a huge piece of Tulsa to be lost.

Pastor Mareo Johnson, Coach Reed’s friend and community activist, said, “We must remember and never forget all the contributions he made to our community. Just the lives of the kids and the lives of the people, I mean, those are living proof of what Keith Reed did.” in question.

He adds that Coach Reed left a lasting impression on Tulsa.

“He was committed to changing the lives of young people in our community and others. He was a huge pillar of our community when it came to young people, saving lives, helping them get their grades up, just improving family relationships, even violence in our communities,” Johnson said. “I try to get them in the ring and fight differences instead of shooting “I’m working,” he said.

Katina Walker said she finally got the chance to meet Coach Reed last year. He said it had a huge impact on his family.

“Knowing that he had such an impact, he helped raise some of my nephews by coaching football,” he said.

Helping raise children in society was nothing new to her. He was a mentor to every young person he came into contact with.

Coach Reed founded the Reed Community Foundation, which has been around for years. In August 2021, he named his foundation Martin Luther King Jr. It was moving to the old Ben Hill Community Center on Blvd. We at News Channel 8 recognized him as one of the best in the community”Unsung Heroes“For everything he did. We were there when Oral Roberts University surprised him with donations.

Johnson said the Ben Hill Center was ready to be demolished until Coach Reed worked with the Tulsa City Council to help move its foundation at the Ben Hill Center. He adds that he will make sure Coach Reed’s legacy remains there.

“It’s a jewel in our community. It needs to stay there. It doesn’t need to go anywhere, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way, so I’m pretty optimistic the Center will stay,” Johnson said. “We’ll stay there for years to come.”

In Coach Reed’s words from our 2021 interview that are still relevant today, “love lives here.”

Memorial services have not yet been determined.