A member of a prominent Owensboro broadcasting family passed away Friday. 89-year-old Ruth Steele Reed was a child of WVJS founder Vincent J. Steele, and spent her career as treasurer of Owensboro On The Air, Incorporated, which included WVJS, WSTO and Owensboro Cablevision. She remained a fixture at the Highway 60 West business until the Steeles sold it to Century Communications in 1983.
Not only did she work in the family radio business, but Reed served her community, on the boards of directors of the Owensboro Symphony, Junior Achievement, the Wendell Foster Center, and the former Owensboro-Daviess County Hospital. She was a charter member of Leadership Owensboro and Impact 100 and a member of the Junior League of Owensboro and the former Hospital Guild, now The Women’s Guild.
In the early 90’s, 94.7 WBIO came to be when Cromwell Radio Group (now Cromwell Media) purchased the license that was held by Ruth Steele. She married in 1998, to Bogart “Bo” Scott Reed, who passed away 10 years ago. A funeral Mass for Ruth will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at The Parish of the Immaculate. Burial will be in Mater Dolorosa Cemetery. Visitation is from 3 to 7 p.m., with prayers at 6 p.m., Monday and 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory.
Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to The Carmel Home, 2501 Old Hartford Road, Owensboro, KY 42303 or The Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery, 8564 Crisp Road, Whitesville, KY 42378.
Sources: Messenger-Inquirer, Jim Parr
Photo: Glenn Funeral Home & Crematory