Vicki Gail Reed

On June 12, 1963, Billy and Rosemary welcomed a little girl to their Los Angeles home. They named her Vicki Gail Byrd and brought her home to her older sister Rhonda, who adored her. Then, in 1964, their younger brother Randy was born. Billy and Rosemary had their hands full. Being a middle child, Vicki took her role of troublemaker very seriously. Rhonda will tell you the story of when Vicki convinced her they should run away from home. They made it as far as the local 7 Eleven and decided that was far enough. They were hungry and, luckily, there was an ice machine outside, which became all meals for that day. When they were put in the back of a cop car and brought home at 2 AM, Rhonda was terrified they were being arrested, but Vicki, who was only 6 at the time, was able to give the officer all the necessary information to get the girls home.

Billy and Rosemary bounced around California for a while, but the family eventually landed in Tulare. Vicki attended elementary school there and enjoyed a childhood full of memories, complete with lots of travelling. In 1968 Billy and Rosemary separated. Billy and Rosemary each remarried and Vicki spent her time traveling between both households throughout her teens. Billy married Brenda and gave Vicki 3 more half-siblings: Ahana, Danny, and Stephen. Danny always remembers when Vicki taught him to swim. Rosemary married Ralph and added another daughter to their Porterville home: Kelli. This completed the quartet of Rosemary’s children. Kelli tells a story from their childhood. She (Kelli) knocked on the door, intending to spray Vicki with the hose when she opened it. However, Vicki caught on quickly, and sent Rhonda to the door instead. Vicki just sat back laughing at her brilliant trick, as she watched Rhonda get sprayed instead of her.

Ralph and Rosemary’s family eventually relocated to Rio Linda. Vicki attended Rio Linda High School up until she met Guy. In 1980, she gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Trishica Rose. Vicki and Trish were now a team; it was them against the world. Vicki had her hands full as a single mother finishing high school, but she still managed to graduate, even though that meant taking night classes and riding a “sketchy bus” (her own words). Vicki also continued to spend time with Trish and live with Rosemary and Ralph. That was until she was about 17 and met Rich Reed.

Vicki and Rich moved to Palmdale and were married in 1982. In 1985, Vicki and Rich welcomed their first son, Rick, to the world. Vicki worked various jobs through the local school district during this time, starting out as a volunteer. This meant that instead of being away from the kids for any length of time, she could follow them to school instead. She ended up volunteering so much that the district gave her a job as a teacher’s aide. She truly enjoyed helping out in the classroom, but most of all she just loved being with her children. Trish remembers one time while in second grade, her mom was the substitute teacher for the class, and she came in saying, “My name is Mrs. Reed. Can you all say Mrs. Reed?” Vicki and Trish always laughed at the memory of the embarrassed 2nd grade Trish, because, of course, 7 and 8 year olds can say that. However, Trish will also say how much she loved knowing her mom was somewhere at school with her; it made her feel safe and comfortable. In 1990, Vicki and Rich welcomed their second son into the world, Nick. But by 1992, they had grown apart and Vicki moved back to Sacramento with her three children.

Back home with her family, Vicki went to beauty school. Then in 1993, Vicki was with her children at Scandia when a man hitting baseballs in the batting cages caught her eye. “Wow,” Vicki said to Darrell, “You almost hit them all and only got slightly injured.” The two hit it off and set up a date for Valentine’s Day. This would forever become the anniversary they would celebrate. The two fell in love and proceeded to move in together. Darrell had two kids of his own, Heather and Ian, to add to the family. Darrell and Vicki lived together in North Highlands where the children attended school and Vicki finished beauty school, receiving her cosmetology license. Vicki got a job at Super Cuts, but quickly ran into a small problem: she didn’t really like cutting hair. In 1994, a job opportunity for Darrell took the family to Las Vegas and in 1995, Vicki and Darrell welcomed their daughter, Mariah, to the family. Living in the suburbs of Las Vegas, Vicki realized there was money to be made in tips, so she found a job that she discovered she really enjoyed: delivering pizzas. She continued to work as a pizza delivery driver throughout the family’s years in Las Vegas. She was a hard worker who wanted to help provide for her family and would, at times, take on other side jobs including delivering newspapers and being a receptionist, but delivering for tips was what she always came back to. She would say, “What other job can you get cash in your pocket at the end of the night, take as many breaks as you want, stop, eat, get a diet Pepsi and still be on the clock?” Also, with any extra cash, she got to spend time at the casino, which she loved.

In 1999, tired of Las Vegas, Darrell, Vicki, Rick, Nick and Mariah moved back to Carmichael to be closer to family. Vicki found a job at Round Table and worked there until she decided to start a career with the USPS. Unfortunately, that career move didn’t last long as Vicki was diagnosed with blepharospasm in 2004. This left her at home on disability, but gave her plenty of extra time to devote to her family. With the children getting older and very slowly moving out, Darrell and Vicki relocated to Antelope. This freedom allowed Vicki to devote her time to her creative side, as she explored and discovered many art and crafting activities. She was a fantastic crocheter, but also enjoyed painting, drawing, and even diamond art. In 2011, Vicki was ecstatic to have her first grandson, Rylan, born to Trish and Aaron. Her second grandson, Nolan, was born in 2018 to Rick and Meredith. Then in 2019, James was born to Heather and David. Vicki was an incredibly loving and doting grandma who took a great deal of pride in her expanding family.

Unfortunately, Vicki suffered a stroke in 2019. She recovered well, but it was ultimately a large intracranial hemorrhage that took her life on November 11, 2021. It was once said, “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, but love leaves a memory no one can steal.” She will always be remembered as a devoted mother, life partner, grandma, sister, daughter and friend who loved her family above all else and who would always be there for those she loved no matter what.