Mr. Read moved with his family to Gowanda from Canada as a child. He attended Gowanda Central High School and graduated in 1937. He received a bachelor's degree in pre-law and business from the University of Pennsylvania, Whewton School of Business in 1941.
With a dual citizenship, he elected to become an American citizen when he was 21. He served in the Army during World War II as a Master Sergeant and was stationed in Burma, China and India.
Mr. Read was employed for 12 years at National Gypsom as a tax accountant, spending the bulk of his years serving as secretary-treasurer of Peter Cooper Glue Corp. in Gowanda.
He volunteered and served on the boards of the Kiwanis Club and the Gowanda Library. His interests included bowling and stamp collecting.
He was the husband of Eleanor (Rooney) Read; son of the late John and Anna (Osborn) Read; father of Dr. John A. Read of Tacoma, WA, William B. Read of Holton, KS, Richard D. Read of Buffalo, James K. Read of Myrtle Beach, SC, David C. Read of Perrysburg, Catherine Knoelke of Lisle, IL, and Cynthia Hubacher of Buffalo; and brother of Darwin B. Read of Venice, FL; also survived by 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Gowanda Library.
Arrangements were made by the Mentley Funeral Home, Inc., Gowanda.