More detail on this person: Commander, Reid
Paul Carleton, USN Retired, 78, of Kingsley,
Michigan, passed away of lung cancer, Sunday,
September 22, 2013 at his home in Chula Vista,
California.
Reid was born January 03, 1935 in Kingsley,
Michigan. He met and married his high school
sweetheart, Eleanor Avery Jones in 1957 in
Pensacola, Florida. Reid graduated from the Naval
Post Graduate School, Monterey CA in 1959 with a
Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. He went on to
serve the United States Navy including 4 combat
tours in Viet Nam as a Combat Search and Rescue
helicopter pilot. He served with high distinction
and was awarded numerous medals to include 1 Air
Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed
Forces Expeditionary Medal (Laos), Vietnam
Service Medal with 4 Bronze Stars, Republic of
Vietnam Campaign Medal, Republic of Vietnam Air
Gallantry Medal Gallantry Cross Medal with Palm
and Joint Service Commendation Medal. His Naval
Aviation career spanned 26 years until his
retirement as a Commander in June of 1981at Naval
Base Pt. Loma.
Upon retiring from the Navy he worked as the
Computer Chief Scientist for REI and SAIC on
numerous computer contracts for the Navy.
Retirement was not a lifestyle which he was
accustomed. He created a workshop out of his
garage and was known around town as Grampa's
Workshop. He also stayed within the academic
community with a teaching position at Grossmont
College. He volunteered in the restoration of the
USS Midway. Docents, tourists and restoration
specialists will long remember his contribution to
this monument. Equally as passionate was his time
spent in his backyard gardening and cultivating
his numerous tomato plants and assorted
vegetables and fruits.
Reid is survived by his loving wife, Eleanor, of
55 years, four children, Reid Jr., Katherine
Ronaele, Scott Avery, Lawrence Tilden, their
spouses, 11 grand children and 3 great grand
children.
A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00
pm, Saturday, September 28, at Glen Abbey
Memorial Park and Mortuary, 3838 Bonita Road,
Bonita, California 91902. Reverend Richard Kuhn
will be officiating with interment to follow. In
lieu of flowers, donations will be graciously
accepted for the USS Midway, Wounded Warrior
Project/ Wheel Chair and the American Cancer
Society .
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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Date posted on this site: 03/10/2024
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