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Obituary

Born leader had affection for people, his community

WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS: 1913-2005. Mr. Reynolds was a founding member of the University Club and was among the founders of St. Mary's and Berkeley Preparatory School.

By MARTY CLEAR
Published February 4, 2005

BALLAST POINT - William Reynolds took pride being a member of many civic and social organizations, including the Propeller Club, the Beach Park Civic Association, Tampa Community Theater, Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the board of St. Mary's Episcopal Church.

He thrived on assuming leadership roles.

"In civic organizations, there are always a lot of people who sit there and say, "Somebody needs to do something,"' said his daughter, Lisa Hammett. "But my father was always willing to step up and take the responsibility on himself."

Mr. Reynolds died of natural causes on Jan. 23 at age 91, leaving a visible legacy on Tampa, a city he called home for more than 60 years. He was a founding member of the University Club and was among the founders of St. Mary's and Berkeley Preparatory School.

He was also a highly successful businessman. In 1959, he founded W.H. Reynolds Distributing, which sold and serviced deli counter equipment to supermarkets.

"He was a born salesman because he loved people so much," his daughter said. "He made friends everywhere he went."

Mr. Reynolds was born in White Plains, Ga. His father, Hammond Reynolds, had a brief career as a Major League Baseball player. William Reynolds had a noteworthy career as a college quarterback.

"He worked his way through college playing football," said his wife, Frances Reynolds. "He was at South Carolina until he got injured and lost his scholarship, and then he went to Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, where he graduated."

Mr. Reynolds continued his football career at Oglethorpe, where he's a member of the university's Football Hall of Fame.

The couple married in New York City in 1941 and settled in Beach Park, where they raised three children, Steve, Jeffrey and Lisa.

"I always remember him having evening meetings," said his son Steve, a Tampa lawyer. "But family was very important to him. He really did so much for my brother and my sister and me. He was a disciplinarian when he needed to be, and a best friend when he could be."

It was Mr. Reynolds' gregariousness that led to his most successful business venture. In the late 1950s, he struck up a conversation with a stranger in South Carolina. It turned out the stranger ran a company that manufactured meat slicers and other equipment for supermarket deli counters.

Soon after, Mr. Reynolds started his own business to distribute and service those products.

Eventually, he sold the business but stayed active in retirement. A stroke in 1990 limited him physically, but he lived happily with his wife in Ballast Point, their home since the 1980s.

His death came quickly and peacefully.

"I was here and I was holding his hand, and that was lovely," his wife said.

Besides his wife and children, Mr. Reynolds is survived by four grandchildren.

[Last modified February 3, 2005, 10:01:08]