Widow Of Tulsa Jogger Holding Celebration For Late Husband's Birthday

The widow of a Tulsa man hit and killed while jogging last month is planning a special celebration for what would have been her husband's 50th birthday.

Linda Reid says her husband, Michael Reid, always came in from his run and kissed her goodbye before heading to work.

But that was not the case on January 3rd, 2017.

 "When we realized his car was in the garage, I knew things weren't right," Reid said.

Michael Reid died when he was hit by a car on Sheridan over the Creek Turnpike. It's been five weeks since he passed away, and Linda Reid said her family is choosing to stay positive.

1/3/2017 Related Story: Tulsa Police: Jogger Killed In Early Morning Hit-And-Run

"Honestly, I can't have imagined an ending that had him waning in strength and ability," she said.

Michael Reid's family said they don't want to focus on how his life ended on that January day, but, instead, they want to look at how he lived his life and what he meant to so many people.

1/4/2017 Related Story: Family, Friends Remember Sapulpa Educator Killed In Hit-And-Run

Linda said they were a perfect match.

“Even after being married 15, 16 years, we would have people come up to us, saying, 'You guys must be newlyweds,'" she said.

Both of them were educators - and Linda said her husband loved his students like they were his own children.

She said, "Mike invested in his kids. I mean, he had one who lived with him for a spell because he had issues at home and didn't have a place to stay."

Next week would be Michael’s 50th birthday, so they're throwing a party, choosing to celebrate his life instead of mourning.

Linda expects they'll share plenty of laughs remembering what Michael meant to them.

"I can't help but kind of hope God gives him a window into hearing some of these stories," she said.