Will was one of six children born to David Stanley Reid and Jessie Mable Lawrence. His pre-school years were spent in Oro Twp., Ontario, Canada, but his father was an American citizen and when Will was five years old his parents moved the family to Gowanda, NY., where he grew up on his parents dairy farm. At the beginning of WWII he was working at Buffalo Arms, building 50 caliber machine guns which made him exempt from military service but as a patriotic young man he wanted to serve his county and so on 12 March 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and went through pilot training. He was finally assigned as a Link Trainer Instructor at Vance AFB in Enid, Oklahoma. While skating at the local roller rink he met his future wife Lila Mae Pruitt. They were married in Enid on 24 November 1943. This union was blessed with three children. Will was a talented artist and used oils, watercolors and pen and ink to produce many works of which his favorite subjects were wildlife. After the war he went to work for Knapp Advertising in Enid but in 1955 he went into business for himself as Reid Outdoor Advertising and had a very successful business until he retired. Besides his artwork, Will was a expert model railroader, building intricate dioramas for his HO gauge trains. One of his train layouts in on exhibit at the Railroad Museum in Enid. Will was involved in Scouting for about 20 years in support of his sons and other young men of the community. He was Packmaster for Pack 17 at Hoover School, Scoutmaster for Troop 1 and Explorer Advisor for Post 1 at Christ Methodist Church.
Will was one of six children born to David Stanley Reid and Jessie Mable Lawrence. His pre-school years were spent in Oro Twp., Ontario, Canada, but his father was an American citizen and when Will was five years old his parents moved the family to Gowanda, NY., where he grew up on his parents dairy farm. At the beginning of WWII he was working at Buffalo Arms, building 50 caliber machine guns which made him exempt from military service but as a patriotic young man he wanted to serve his county and so on 12 March 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and went through pilot training. He was finally assigned as a Link Trainer Instructor at Vance AFB in Enid, Oklahoma. While skating at the local roller rink he met his future wife Lila Mae Pruitt. They were married in Enid on 24 November 1943. This union was blessed with three children. Will was a talented artist and used oils, watercolors and pen and ink to produce many works of which his favorite subjects were wildlife. After the war he went to work for Knapp Advertising in Enid but in 1955 he went into business for himself as Reid Outdoor Advertising and had a very successful business until he retired. Besides his artwork, Will was a expert model railroader, building intricate dioramas for his HO gauge trains. One of his train layouts in on exhibit at the Railroad Museum in Enid. Will was involved in Scouting for about 20 years in support of his sons and other young men of the community. He was Packmaster for Pack 17 at Hoover School, Scoutmaster for Troop 1 and Explorer Advisor for Post 1 at Christ Methodist Church.
