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Barnstable County Mourns the Loss of John Reed, Treasured Advocate for Human Rights

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of one of the founders of the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commissioners, John Reed. It is with enormous gratitude that we pay homage to the work that Mr. Reed did to support all residents and visitors to Barnstable County.

John Reed, photo credit Barnstable Patriot

John was a prodigious advocate for human and civil rights on Cape Cod. He first established the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission in 2005. His vision was to build a group of dedicated individuals who could support the most vulnerable in our community. He served as the Chair of the Human Rights Commission for many years. In the time he served, he formalized the commission, helped to create the Human Rights Academy for Cape Cod students, established the annual Human Rights awards breakfast and the Friends of the Human Rights fund. John was an inexhaustible Samaritan, who assisted multitudes of residents in their time of need. He was a force of conscience and strength in the community.

In 2021, John received the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission’s Rosenthal Community Champion award, for his overall commitment to people of all cultures on Cape Cod. The current and former members of the Barnstable County Human Rights Advisory Commission honor all that Mr. Reed built to support our community.