Booker T. Reid

Retired casino pit supervisor and US Navy Veteran Booker T. Reid passed away on Tuesday March 29, 2022 at the age of 75 in Las Vegas, Nevada surrounded by his family. His strength and courage endured years of complex health challenges yet he always remained hopeful and optimistic that he would fully recover. Booker was born on Saturday May 18, 1946 in Morton, Mississippi to his parents R.G. and Minnie Lee (Smith) Reid where he lived with his parents and siblings and where he gave his life to Christ at an early age. In 1954 his parents relocated the family to Las Vegas, Nevada for more opportunities and purchased their family home at 601 Byrnes in the Historic Westside Berkeley Square Community in 1954. Booker attended Madison and the Historic Westside Elementary Schools, J.D. Smith Junior High School, and graduated from Rancho High School in 1964. He was an athlete who played football, a drummer in the marching band, and had a strong love and connection to all types of automobiles. After high school Booker served two terms in the US Navy where he achieved the rank of Engineman 3 due to his skill and training in engine mechanics. Booker was a decorated serviceman where he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and Vietnam Campaign Medal due to his active participation in the Vietnam War. Booker honorably discharged from the US Navy on January 12, 1968. Booker started a family at a young age and had seven (7) children. He was a hard working provider who loved spending time with his family at the Speedway watching Drag Races, and talking smack at family game nights. He was skilled at Dominios, Bid Wiz, Spades and shooting pool. After his military service, Booker started his Las Vegas gaming industry career as a crap dealer where we worked at the Mint and Thunderbird Casinos in the mid 1970’s. His crap dealing skills and outgoing personality afforded him an opportunity to be recruited by the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino in 1977 where he worked until 1993. Booker later became a floor supervisor at the Union Plaza and a 21 pit manager in the mid 1990’s. He went on to Bally’s Hotel and Casino as a pit supervisor where he achieved recognition as Employee of the Year. He later retired from Bally’s and the Las Vegas gaming industry in 2007. Everyone who knew him would say he was one of the best crap dealers in Las Vegas. He married Claudine (Smith) Reid on October 13, 1997 and would have celebrated their twenty-fifth (25) wedding anniversary in 2022. Booker and Claudine enjoyed working together in the gaming industry and shared their retirement years redecorating the home they built together, enjoying grandchildren, watching sports, and traveling. Booker is preceded in death by his parents R.G. and Minnie Lee Reid, two sisters Angeleanta Omran (Jalal) and Lillie Ealy (Johnny), brother Henry C. Reid (Lemuriele [Lynn]), and daughter Dena Murray (Mario). He leaves to cherish his memory; wife Claudine (Smith) Reid, children Bengee Reid, Booker Reid Jr. (Kyla), Brittani Gray (Jarron), Brooke Page (Maurice), Darrell Monroe (Vancima), and Terry Reid (Angela) all of Las Vegas. Step-children Cassandra Grettner of Claremore, Oklahoma, Jeffrey Grettner of Dallas, Texas, and Rachael Carino (Eric) of Palm Springs, California. Twenty-Five (25) grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren. His brother Charles Reid and aunt Bonnie Bilbro both of Morton, Mississippi, brother-n-law Johnny Ealy of Las Vegas, Nevada and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended relatives and his fellow gaming industry colleagues who will all miss him dearly.

Booker T. Reid

March 29, 2022 - March 29, 2022