Obituary: Paul Reed (1962-2025)
Paul Reed was born on February 12, 1962, in Houston, Texas. From the beginning, Paul was someone who radiated warmth, humor, and a deep love for others. Raised in a Baptist home, he grew up attending Baumant Place Baptist Church where his mother played piano-planting the seeds of faith that would grow into a lifelong passion for Christ and ministry.
Paul began his career as a carpet layer early in life, working with his brother-in-law in Texas. He later lived with his cousin Lynn in Colorado before settling in Waldron, Arkansas in 1980, at Cedar Creek. Over the years, Paul built not just a successful business-but a reputation for being honest, hardworking, and deeply committed to the people he served.
He was a man of many talents. He loved all kinds of ball sports, and could talk for hours about the games, the players, and the plays. But what truly made Paul stand out was his love for music. He had a gift for playing the guitar and singing, often using those gifts in worship and ministry. Music was one of the ways he expressed his faith and brought joy to others. More than anything, Paul was a passionate follower of Jesus Christ. He lived his life as an evangelist and minister, always eager to share the Gospel with anyone who would listen. His favorite passage was Acts 8: 26-40 the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch-a powerful illustration of obedience, divine encounters, and the urgency of spreading the Word. Like Philip, Paul never missed an opportunity to talk about salvation and grace.
Throughout his life, Paul was connected to several churches. He was raised in the Baptist tradition, attending Abbott Church in Arkansas, and later found his spiritual home at the Pentecostal Church in Waldron, led by Pastor Konnor McKay and his wife Jasmine. His faith wasn’t something he kept to himself-it was something he lived out daily, through his words, his work, and his way of loving people.
Paul is survived by his loving wife, Angelica Reed; his son and daughter-in-law, Luke and Jaide Reed; his sister and brother-in-law, Beverly and Randy Sealy; his cousin, wife and daughter, Lynn, Xijia, and Lisa Attaway; cousin Grady Jr. Among his good friends are Bennie Hawkins, Tim Cox, Richard Barnett, Jim Braith, Wesley Pickens, Roger Mattox and Steve Riley who’s been with him through life’s ups and downs. Beyond his professional life, he deeply valued relationships and loyalty. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend-a man whose life was rooted in love, laughter, and faith. Those who knew Paul remember his big heart, his contagious sense of humor, and his ability to make anyone feel like family. He was the kind of man who could brighten a room with his presence and inspire others with his sincerity. Whether he was laying carpet or laying hands in prayer, he did it with purpose and passion.
Paul leaves behind two lasting legacies: the carpet business he dedicated his life to, and the countless souls he impacted through his ministry. He truly lived as a servant of Christ, changing lives not by preaching from a stage, but by walking faithfully every single day. Though our hearts are heavy, we know Paul is rejoicing in the presence of his Savior. He often said, “It’s all about the Gospel”-and he lived those words fully. Today, we honor his life, his faith, and the love he gave so freely.
Paul’s celebration of life will be 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at the Waldron Pentecostal Church of God in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Konnor McKay and Roger Mattox officiating. Interment will follow in the Duncan Cemetery. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.
Paul’s visitation will be Monday, June 30, 2025 from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
State Capitol Week in Review from Senator Terry Rice
LITTLE ROCK – More than 4,200 Arkansas teachers will receive merit bonuses averaging $3,325 as part of an incentive program created two years ago to retain the best teachers and recruit them in subject areas that are most in demand.
The incentive program is part of the LEARNS Act, a sweeping series of education reforms that were proposed by the governor and enacted by the legislature. It raised starting salaries for teachers from $36,000 to $50,000.
Last year fewer than 3,000 teachers received bonuses, which averaged $3,299. Last year the state spent about $9.8 million on incentive bonuses and this year it will spend $14.2 million.
To be eligible, a teacher must have three years’ experience. One category is to show outstanding growth in student performance. Another is to teach in a subject that has a shortage of teachers. Those are foreign languages, secondary mathematics, secondary science, middle school mathematics, middle school science and special education.
Teachers also can qualify for bonuses if they teach in areas with a shortage of teachers, and if they act as mentors to aspiring teachers. Teachers can receive up to $10,000 in bonuses if they qualify in more than one of the categories, and this year 76 teachers will receive the maximum amount. Last year 47 teachers received $10,000.
This year the median bonus is $2,500, meaning the same number of teachers received more than that amount as received less than that amount. Last year the median bonus was $3,000.
This year 831 teachers received a bonus of more than $5,000, compared to 52 teachers receiving that much last year.
The state will send money to school districts by June 30 for the incentive bonuses to be distributed to teachers.
Arkansas has almost 33,000 certified classroom teachers. Retention has improved since the pandemic, but still remains a challenge for school districts. According to a recent report by the Office of Education Policy at the University of Arkansas, last year 12.8 percent of teachers left their classroom. They either left the teaching profession, transferred to a different school district or switched to a non-teaching job within their district.
According to the university report, 77 percent of Arkansas teachers remained in their jobs, while 2.7 percent retired. The retiring teachers were part of the 9.2 percent who left the teaching profession entirely. The analysis showed that 3.6 percent switched to a non-teaching job within the district and 10.1 percent moved to a different teaching job. Of those, 4.7 percent moved to another job within their district and 5.4 percent took a teaching job at another district.
Retention rates for teachers this year were very similar to last year’s rates, and still not quite as good as before the COVID pandemic. For example, the retention rate in 2017-2018 was 79 percent, or two percentage points higher than this year’s rate.
Retention rates in southern and eastern Arkansas tend to be lower. Seven school districts in Arkansas had a teacher retention rate below 65 percent, and five of those districts are in southern and eastern parts of the state.
This year’s rate of teacher retirements is close to traditional rates.