John K. “Jack” Reader

Jack Reader, Longtime NFL Executive, Dies at 82, John Kenneth “Jack” Reader, 82, previously of Edison, NJ, and recently of Yarmouthport, MA died in Hingham , MA on November 10, 2008 after battling cancer. Born on November 11, 1925, in Lawrence, MA he was the son of English immigrant parents John and Elizabeth (Crump) Reader. He was raised in Methuen, MA. and graduated from Central Catholic High School. He was later named to the CCHS Hall of Fame as a distinguished alumnus for his performance in the classroom and his contribution as an outstanding athlete. Staff Sergeant Reader served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters for meritorious achievement for his twenty seven missions as a B-17 tail gunner. He was honorably discharged from the “Mighty Eighth Air Force, ” 96th Heavy Bombardment Group (Sneterton Heath, England.) Reader received his Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of the Holy Cross in 1950. While at Holy Cross he played varsity football for the Crusaders. In 1949 he married Anna Catherine Moriarty. They were married for 45 years. His wife predeceased him on December 2, 1994. Reader worked for the National Football League for more than 46 years. He was a professional on-field official for both the American and National Football Leagues for more than fifteen seasons and worked SuperBowls I and III. He then became Supervisor of Officials in the NFL’s headquarters in New York City – a position he held for decades – focusing on the development of instant replay and other broadcast technologies, implementing new rules, scouting and ensuring the diversity of NFL officials. Reader will be remembered for his blue eyes, his love of family and wonderful sense of humor. He enjoyed sporting events of all kinds, playing golf, and being an avid Red Sox fan. Reader is survived by his two sons and their wives, Jack and Mary Reader of Hingham, MA; Paul and Ellen Reader of Chatham, NJ; and his daughter and her husband, Patricia and Jim Merlin of Duxbury, MA. He leaves six grandchildren: Grace and George Reader, Matthew and Hannah Reader and Emily and Sean Merlin. A funeral Mass was held on November 13, 2008 at St. Paul’s Church in Hingham, MA., with burial at the Mary Immaculate Cemetery in Lawrence, MA. Donations in his memory may be made to the HHT Foundation International, Inc. at P.O. Box 329 Monkton, MD, 21111 or via HHT.org.