‘Hard shoes to fill.’ Long-serving board member dies after making Tacoma parks better
.jpg "Metro Parks Commissioner Tim Reid pictured at a dedication of the new Mobile Teaching Kitchen on March 7th, 2020 at the Eastside Community center.")
Long-time Metro Parks Tacoma Commissioner Tim Reid, who oversaw strategic plans and steered the department through the COVID-19 pandemic, died Thursday at age 78, his daughter confirmed Tuesday.
Those who worked with him and knew him remembered Reid as a humorous, gregarious and down-to-earth man who worked to solve issues and get the best results for the public and staff.
Reid was the longest-serving parks commissioner in Tacoma history, according to Metro Parks. He took his first oath of office in January 1996 and served for 28 consecutive years. Reid served as president of the Park Board five times and was clerk seven times, according to Metro Parks.
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Reid was the Park Board’s clerk at the time of his death and served as its president most recently in 2020. He sat on the district’s Capital Projects Committee and the Fort Nisqually Advisory Council, was a zoo liaison and was involved with the Metro Parks Tacoma/Tacoma Public Schools Coordinating Committee, Business and Responsive Agency Advisory Council, Joint Municipal Action Committee and Metro Parks Tacoma/City of Tacoma Interlocal Policy Committee, according to Metro Park’s website.
Reid’s term was set to expire at the end of 2025. Commissioner Aaron Pointer previously announced his retirement from the board after 24 years effective Dec. 10, 2024, and commissioner Rosie Ayala resigned from her seat to join the Pierce County Council, effective Dec. 31, 2024. All three vacant positions will be filled after the Park Board narrows its finalists for interviews and appoints their successors, said public information officer Stacia Glenn. Metro Parks is taking online applications for Reid’s seat through Dec. 31.
A legacy of service
Born and raised in Tacoma, Reid attended the University of Puget Sound in the mid-1970s and spent a large part of his professional career as a third-party administrator, according to his biography on the Metro Parks website. In addition to being a graduate of the Tacoma-Pierce County Leadership program, Reid was a member of the Chamber of Commerce and chaired the Chamber’s Utilities Task Force. He also chaired the Tacoma Public Utility Board.
As a Metro Parks commissioner, Reid prioritized fiscal responsibility, stewardship, park safety and public responsiveness in his role, according to Metro Parks.
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When Reid was appointed president of the board most recently in 2020, park leadership had to grapple with the reality of reducing staffing to just 22% of normal levels as a result of program reductions in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. That came at a time when Metro Parks also saw a dramatic increase in park usage as people flocked outdoors and found solace in nature, Metro Parks wrote in an online obituary about Reid.
“Throughout this time, Reid and executive director Shon Sylvia spoke at 6 a.m. every morning to discuss how leadership was responding to declining revenues from lost fees, examining how to respond to rapidly evolving community needs, and providing support systems for employees facing layoffs, furloughs and the increased workloads,” the obituary said. “Reid was proud of the ingenuity and strategic collaboration between staff and elected officials to provide meaningful operational shifts and vital resources for the community, spanning a wide spectrum of needs throughout that difficult year.”
According to Metro Parks, since 1996 Reid was instrumental as the organization has:
Transformed two Superfund sites into popular waterfront parks — Dune Peninsula at Point Defiance and Melanie Jan LaPlant Dressel Park on the Foss Waterway
Built two new community centers — STAR Center in South Tacoma and the Eastside Community Center
Opened Pierce County’s first wave pool at Kandle Park
Added 10 spraygrounds in parks throughout the city
Reid also worked with partners at Tacoma Public Schools and others to create:
The Science & Math Institute (SAMi) and the high school’s Environmental Learning Center at Point Defiance
Beyond the Bell and Club Beyond after school programs for TPS students at all 36 elementary schools and 11 middle schools
Two community schoolyards that opened in the last year to serve students and neighbors around Tacoma, with three more in development
Nancy Johnson, Metro Park’s communications and engagement manager, said she knew Reid for three decades and loved the fact that he never lost his down-to-earth nature, even as an elected official.
“I watched him talk to employees across every step of our organization. He would talk to crews out on on the lines and ask them about things that were working, things that weren’t. He had a real interest in knowing, and he would talk to community in the same way, ‘Tell me the good, the bad, the ugly,’” Johnson said. “And when he heard the good, he was always so beaming with pride. And when he heard the bad and the ugly, he would go to staff and say, ‘Hey, what’s the disconnect?’ But he never was like, condescending ... He always strove to understand what were the barriers, or what was causing the disconnect.”
Reid’s youngest daughter Trinity Lawson remembered her father Tuesday as a happy person who enjoyed life, making people laugh and giving back to the community.
“He loved [being a part of the park district] for the kids, the parks, just being able to make that impact on a city in an area and county that he lived most of his life in. That was something he really cherished,” Lawson said. “Being able to leave things better than they were, right? He always wanted to help provide jobs and opportunities for people.”
Lawson said Reid loved his children and grandchildren deeply and lived a great life that touched many hearts.
“[He was] always there for a good hug,” she said.
Board president Andrea Smith told The News Tribune Monday she considered Reid a mentor and a friend after knowing him for 30 years. Smith said she would miss his morning calls and wisdom.
“These are going to be hard shoes to fill,” she said.
Reid is survived by his long-time partner Laurie Beck and her children, daughters Trinity Lawson and Teri Reid, their spouses and three grandchildren.
Lawson told The News Tribune on January 6 a celebration of Reid’s life will be held Saturday, January 11 from 1-4 p.m. at the Titlow Lodge, one of his favorite park locations.
“All that knew him are invited to attend and the family look forward to celebrating Tim’s life and continuing his legacy of love for the community,” she said. “In lieu of flowers, the family kindly request donations to the Metro Parks Foundation, which was close to Tim’s heart.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 5:15 AM.
