Frank Engelhart Reed

Frank Engelhart Reed, 91

Frank Engelhart Reed of Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania died peacefully at Chestnut Hill Hospital on Sunday, October 18, 2026. He was 91 years old. Frank leaves a lasting legacy of commitment to his family, friends, work and community. 

Frank was born in Orange, NJ, to Ruth and Harvey Reed and raised in Short Hills NJ. Frank's work ethic was likely established around the age of four, when his mother kept him busy by giving him a bucket of water and a big paintbrush and asking him to paint a stone wall in the backyard. 

A banker all his life, he began his career in New York City working at various banks until he found his home at Morgan Guarantee (JP Morgan) as Senior Vice President. In 1984 he accepted the position of President of First Pennsylvania Bank, which then merged with Corestates Philadelphia National Bank, where he took on the role of Chief Executive Officer until he retired in February 1995. His love of finance and his reputation for fiscal responsibility led him to serve on the boards of many corporations, including The Hill at Whitemarsh, Alltel, Harleysville Group, Sprint 360, Windstream, Friends of the Wissahickon, Chestnut Hill Hospital, the Zoological Society, and others. 

He attended Amherst College. It was here that he met Ann Livingston, his wife of 69 years. Ann was a student at neighboring Smith College. He proposed days before their graduation on a bridge on the Smith Campus and they were married later that year on November 30, 1957. Ann and Frank started their lives in Summit, New Jersey and raised their two boys, Jeffrey Reed and Timothy Reed, and built a close knit community there. When they moved to Mount Airy, Pennsylvania in 1984, they immediately became part of the fabric of the community through involvement in the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, The Morris Arboretum, and the Mural Arts Project amongst others, including The Hill at Whitemarsh where he and Ann moved in 2014 and of which Frank was a founder and president of the board. 

Frank, along with Ann, built a family home in Freedom, New Hampshire in the late 1970s where the family gathered over the years and throughout the seasons. The family holds many fond memories of spending time with them on the lake enjoying the outdoors no matter the season. Frank loved a good sunset and knew when it was the perfect time to run down to the lake and snap a picture. It was this house in New Hampshire where Frank recharged and filled his days maintaining the property, as in all things he did he was meticulous and the wood that he chopped and stacked stood through all weather. 

A dedicated father and grandfather, Frank supported and encouraged his family’s endeavors. He was an intent listener, good questioner, and solid advice giver. Those who didn’t know Frank well might have assumed his lifetime spent in Banking meant he had a dry personality, but he loved a good prank and was an avid reader of history, both biographies and historical narratives about the founding of the United States. He was also known for telling the occasional tall tale to gullible family members with the straightest of faces. 

Frank was a committed philanthropist and gave generously of his time, talent and treasure to various philanthropic causes and organizations. He believed strongly in giving back to the community and modeled a level of commitment and duty to community, a legacy that carries on through his children and grandchildren. 

An avid traveler, Frank and Ann set off to far flung places and always came back with appreciation and awe as well as an amazing slide show. Among many trips, some memorable ones included Spain, Turkey, Ireland, Morocco, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Scotland, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, New Zealand, Ecuador, Chile, Norway, and many places across the United States for fly fishing and photography workshops. He traveled extensively, but the place they returned to most often was the island of Barbuda where they formed lasting friendships. 

In addition to his wife, Frank is survived by his son, Jeffrey Reed (Jennifer) of Newbury, Massachusetts, his son Timothy Reed (Kim) of Rye, New Hampshire, and his cherished grandchildren: Madeleine (Ryan) and Nicholas (Jackie), Liz, and Katie. Frank is survived by his brother Ed Reed. He was predeceased by his brother Doug Reed.