Lynn Reed has continued to be a notable member of the Downers Grove community with a range of jobs and life experiences. From working in forestry to owning a dog poop cleaning company and now performing as a respiratory therapist, Reed has had many different opportunities and changes within her life.

In her earlier years, Reed attended Lyons Township High School, where she got her first job working at a country club. At this job, she experienced many different kinds of people and began to understand what she might want to do with her life.

“I remember my parents saying kill them with kindness, I’ve lived my life like that. I [have] always lived just to be a good person, be nice, be fun and be outgoing,” Reed said.

As a young adult, Reed’s father worked in the pipe fitting business, and in 1985, he suggested that she get involved as well. She became a pipe fitter in Chicago, making her part of a minority. As one of the only women working there, she faced many difficulties in this male-dominated field.

“I was not scared, but a lot of men didn’t like me because I jumped ahead; there were never any women, so I encountered a lot of hatred and anger. A lot of bosses would set me up for failure,” Reed said.

Reed has had many jobs. From owning her own dog poop cleaning company titled The Poop Zone, to being a pipe fitter, working in forestry at a state park in Wisconsin, real estate, transportation, the travel industry and now she has finally found her passion in respiratory therapy.

Due to the variety of jobs Reed has experienced, making a dedicated career decision was a hard thing to do. She had to decide to go back to school at 50 years old and relearn what college was like. She had to learn what it meant to be in a school mentality; she did so by taking two classes before deciding to apply to respiratory school.

“The risk there was that I wasn’t going to get in. It is very competitive, so when the director of the program called me and said that I got in, I said to her, did you see how old I was?
And she said yes, I did, you’ve made it, and you’re accepted, so that means that you can do this,” Reed said.

Reed has two children, Aileen Baker and Andrew Reed. They have both watched her go through these many career changes and the motivation that she has in order to do this. Baker explained how her mother’s dedication has helped her and others around her in hard times.

“My mom’s perseverance, hard work, leaning on family, and using her humor and charming personality have all gotten her through hard times. My mom just keeps moving, she is kind of like the Energizer bunny,” Baker said.

Andrew Reed builds on Lynn Reed’s dedication.

“My mom is a go-getter, when an inspiration comes, she goes all in for it; she doesn’t even give the chance for fear, doubts, or excuses to creep in; she just starts. My mom went back to school to become a respiratory therapist. Despite the intensity of the program, not having any prior medical experience and being out of school for so many years, she just started,” Andrew Reed said.

Lynn Reed became a respiratory therapist one year before COVID-19 started, and when the virus increased, it was a hard time working in the hospitals. She had to witness a lot of kids and adults being affected by this disease.

“During COVID, we were the ones running the ventilators to keep people alive. If you would look down a hallway in the hospitals I worked in, all you would see is the ventilators outside the room,” Lynn Reed said.

As a result of these terrifying working conditions, Lynn Reed turned to other activities to keep herself busy before and after work. She began to look for woodworking tools and accumulated many of them. She continues to work on various wood projects to destress from her long work days.

“I started doing that just to come home. I started building lazy susans. I just watched a bazillion YouTube videos, and got equipment,” Lynn Reed said

Not all moments working as a respiratory therapist are as scary as some people may believe. There are many times when these therapists can share humorous stories from things they saw that day. Lynn Reed worked during these night shifts, allowing her and the other workers to have more time to connect and share laughs.

Working night shifts in the hospital had fun moments; it was the recovery from these days that was difficult for Lynn Reed. She would work three nights a week while still trying to maintain a normal life for the remainder of the week. Sleeping during the day was also an issue for Lynn Reed, along with having to leave again for these night shifts.

“I had to put darkening shades in our room, because you’d come home at eight [a.m.] and have to sleep. It’s very hard adjusting from a normal life to working nights. I would recover for a day and then live my life regularly, and then go back. I was never home for dinner, but the nice thing about the night shift was it was quieter,” Lynn Reed said.

One of Lynn Reed’s close friends, Patty Janicek, has seen how hard she has worked. She also recognizes her humorous side, reflecting on when they first met.

“It was almost 30 years ago, and we were both waiting in line for Beanie Babies, the big craze. [Our kids] Brian and Andrew were there with us, and they were both four years old. They started playing together, and we started talking. So Brian and Andrew became best friends, and Lynn and I became best friends,” Janicek said

Many people would describe Lynn Reed as a humorous person. She loves to have a good time and tends to carry good memories around with her. Janicek has recognized these tendencies in her, as well as Lynn Reed’s ability to be serious.

“She has the best laugh and just lets loose. She can [also] be serious, because you don’t usually see that side of her; she’s always the one that people want to gravitate towards, because she has good stories. She certainly can have a serious side as well,” Janicek said.

Andrew Reed has also reflected on his mother’s serious yet humorous side.

“During hard times, my mom has always been the rock, even if she is experiencing pain, you wouldn’t be able to tell. Her humor shines very strongly. When times are hard, her humor is like a power; she helps herself and those around her to stay light and positive,” Andrew Reed said.

Lynn Reed has had many fun memories filled with laughter that surround the people she loves. Many of these friends and family members explain how she has always left them with a smile on their faces. Baker explains how her mother always finds ways to have fun.

“She did her best to embarrass us in high school by blasting music, pulling up to DGS. I didn’t think it was funny then, but it is funny now. Or the random things she would do, like throw dinner rolls from the kitchen to the table, she is always looking to make others laugh,” Baker said.

Even though Lynn Reed has had a variety of jobs, she has left a lasting impact on all of the people she meets at these places. She is a humorous person who has fought through many difficult times in her life and has always persevered, putting forth her best effort.

“She is very generous, and I know that she would do anything for anybody with the drop of a hat. I know that I can count on her for anything,” Janicek said.