WATERVILLE – Clifford “Cliff” Reid passed away in Waterville on Nov. 6, 2021.

Cliff grew up in Washington, DC, where he graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School and received a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University. Cliff was a talented athlete; he was named the Most Valuable Player on his high school football team and then played football for George Washington University.

Cliff received a PhD in economics from Princeton University in 1973, where he developed a research interest in the role of discrimination in American life – in housing, employment, and wages – that he would continue to pursue throughout his academic career. Cliff was a professor of economics at Grinnell College, in Iowa, for 14 years, and it was there that he met his wife, Sheila McCarthy, and that their son Matthew was born. He was then a professor of economics at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, from 1987 until his retirement in 2009.

Family, friends, and colleagues remember Cliff for his wry sense of humor and his incisive observations on topics ranging from politics to current events and sports. He was legendary for his rigorous standards in the classroom and was a caring mentor to generations of students at Grinnell and Colby who remember the impact he had on their lives.

Cliff was a loving father and a devoted husband, especially as Sheila faced an illness during the past several years. During many memorable trips with his family, Cliff would always have a coffee, newspaper, and camera in hand. And in recent years he enjoyed sharing his love of books and math with his beloved grandchildren Beatrice and Abraham.

Cliff was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy (Reeder) and Charles Reid; and his brother, Charles, of Washington, DC. He is survived by his wife, Sheila, of Waterville; his son Matthew Reid and wife Judith Griffin; and his grandchildren Beatrice and Abraham Reid of Ithaca, NY.