Stephen Reid Minot

Stephen Reid Minot, known as Reid, born in 1950, passed away on April 29, 2024, as the result of injuries in a road accident.

Born in Boston and raised mostly in Burlington, Vermont, and Ridgefield, Connecticut, he graduated from Milton Academy and received an A.B. in philosophy from Harvard College (where he took active part in the SDS takeover of University Hall in the spring 1969 strike) in 1972, a BSN from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977, and an MSN from Hunter College in 1984. He returned to Austin for good in 1987, making a career as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and Clinical Nurse Specialist in mental health.

For many years, Reid was Director of Nursing at Seton Shoal Creek Hospital and then worked for Austin/Travis County MHMR Psychiatric Emergency Services, after which he went into private practice focusing on psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, with a special interest in dual diagnoses, retiring last year. Reid possessed stunning intellectual curiosity and broad, eclectic knowledge in the arts, history, politics, philosophy, and especially music. His lifelong love of jazz led him in roundabout ways to popular Neapolitan song, chamber music, art song--whatever struck his fancy. His expansive literary tastes began at the classics and moved through eighteenth-century letters to Auden and R. Crumb. To protest the invasion of Iraq, he read Chateaubriand in French for a year.

Reid was devoted to swimming in Barton Springs and reading in his Yucatan hammock. He spent as much time as he could at the family’s summer home in Harpswell, Maine, taming the vegetation, swimming and kayaking in the chilly waters, and . . . reading.

Reid is survived by Marian, his much-loved wife of 46 years and partner of 55, his idolized sons John and Sam, his cherished siblings Harry, Abby, Sarah, Ione, Nicholas, and Chrystos, his treasured daughter-in-law Ryanne, and his adored granddaughter Rex.

Sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt.

His memorial will be held on May 18th at 1pm at Weed-Corley-Fish on South Congress.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Planned Parenthood.