Troy Dean Reed, 85, of Stillwater, Oklahoma passed away on January 15, 2026. The celebration of his life is planned for later. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of burial at Fairlawn Cemetery.


Troy was born in Durant, OK to Aubrey Reed and Gladys Pate-Reed. They moved near San Diego, California during WWII as Aubrey served in Merchant Marines. Troy's dad died of pneumonia when Troy was seven years old. His mom moved back to family in Durant and married Dewey Goad when Troy was twelve. He grew up in Durant, Duncan and Seminole, OK, and graduated from Seminole High School in 1958.


He earned a B.S. in Aeronautical and Areospace Engineering in 1963 at the University of Oklahoma, an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1965 at Stanford University, while working at Lockheed Missles and Space Center, Sunnyvale, CA part time on Launch and Entry Thermodynamics. He attended Stanford half time while working 30/wk at LMSC. He earned a PhD in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering in 1969 at Oklahoma University. He was Special Instructor during this time teaching Aerodynamics. Reed was employed by the US Forest Service in Idaho during the summers of 1960 and 61 as a member of Timber Road survey crews. At OU he met Cassie Taylor and they were married in 1962.


Reed was a Registered Professional Engineer in TX. He was a member of Society Professional Engineers, ASME and AIAA, affiliated with Tau Beta Pi, honor society for engineers, and Sigma Gamma Tau, national honor society for aeronautical engineers and Sigma Xi, Society of American Scientists.


In 1969, Reed, PhD, PE was Research Scientist at Vought Aerospace Company in Dallas specializing in fluid mechanics and heat transfer with the Advanced Technology Center in aerothermodynamics and gas dynamics, Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel Group, Aerophysics group and gas dynamics Lab. He served as principal Investigator of a NASA contract during this time. He designed a novel procedure for measuring small leaks of freon from the Space Shuttle Radiator Panels, conducted a radiator sizing for Solar Powered Satellite, theoretical and experimental studies of Advanced Tranzonic air foil designs, compiled a NASA transonic and supersonic wind-tunnel calibration manual. He wrote numerous publications as author and co author and made countless presentations at various Scientific Conventions.


As an Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University, 1979, Dr. Reed enjoyed teaching and mentoring graduate students at OSU, where he worked with NASA Ames Research Center, CA. He obtained three NASA grants to fund research by graduate students.


Conoco Phillips in Ponca City recruited him as Senior Research Scientist in 1982. His research involved rheology of fluids in drilling. Reed designed and developed a computer program that calculates pressure gradient produced by the flow of non-Newtonian fluids through an annulus. Engineers tried to solve this problem since 1963. Dr. Reed solved it for any engineer to use. Reed later did consulting for Chevron in Houston, and Tulsa University recruited him to direct a drilling project. He also worked with Scotland, Norway, BP England, ELF Acquitaine, France, Amsterdam, and Canada on projects.


He will be remembered not only for his scientific brilliance but also for being a wonderful loving husband and dad, taking the family on trips for fun and education to museums, Dallas, NYC, DC, Six Flags over TX, Disney World, water skiing Lake Texoma, and yearly Colorado snow skiing trips, playing tennis with Cassie and the twins, fishing and tenting with sons. He was there for his sons sports, music lessons and studies. He loved ballroom dancing and traveling with Cassie to Maui, the Carribean, Mexico plus travel with Conoco to Venezuela, Norway, Scotland, and England.


Reed is survived by the love of his life, Cassie Taylor Reed; son, Shon Roark Reed, beloved widow of son Craig, Kim Berger Reed; brothers Charles Reed and wife Sue, Rick Goad and wife Peggy.


Reed is preceded in death by his parents, Aubrey Reed and Gladys Reed-Goad, grandmother Amy Reed; stepfather, Dewey Goad; twin sons, Derek Taylor and Craig Forrest Reed, and a dear uncle Orval Pate.


The family would like to thank the staff at The Renaissance of Stillwater Memory Care and Luminos Hospice for taking good care of him.