Obituaries

Eileen M. MercerClub Member

Eileen M. Mercer, 88, a homemaker and member of several clubs, died Aug. 17 of a lung ailment at her home in Bethesda.

Mrs. Mercer was born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, and was a proud Canadian throughout her life, even after she became a U.S. citizen. She was a champion high school swimmer and attended McGill University in Montreal. She served as a lieutenant in the Canadian Women's Army Corps during World War II and met her future husband, an American, in London.

After moving to Bethesda in 1946, she became a member of the Bethesda Country Club. She also belonged to the Terrapin Club of the University of Maryland, the English Speaking Union and the Canadian Club of Washington.

Mrs. Mercer lived in London for two years and in Deep River, Ontario, for five years, when her husband was transferred there to work with the old Atomic Energy Commission. She established a golf club in Deep River and participated in curling.

She enjoyed needlepoint, gardening, cooking and playing with her West Highland terrier, Rossy.

Survivors include her husband of 59 years, George L. Mercer of Bethesda; a daughter, Mary-Margaret Mercer of Bethesda; a brother; and a sister.

J. Keith ReidCIA Official

J. Keith Reid, 86, a former Central Intelligence Agency official, died Aug. 12 at Greenspring Village retirement home in Springfield. He had Parkinson's disease and kidney disease.

Mr. Reid was born in Marshall, Va., and attended Strayer University in Washington. He served in the Army Air Forces in World War II.

After the war, he worked briefly for the Veterans Administration before joining the CIA. His family did not know the exact nature of his work, but he was assigned to Tokyo in the 1950s and to Rome from 1963 to 1966. He retired in 1975.

In the late 1970s, he was a deputy sheriff in Arlington County.

He lived in Arlington before he moved to Greenspring Village in 2002.

His wife of 55 years, Faye Crabill Reid, died in 1996.

Survivors include two children, John J. Reid of Arlington and Dr. Janice Morris of Waynesburg, Pa.; and two grandchildren.