William Frederick Reynolds

William Frederick Reynolds, 95, passed away peacefully from Parkinson’s disease surrounded by family and friends, on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, at his home.
He was preceded in death, by his wife of 36 years, Ruth Elizabeth Reynolds, in 1993; parents, Lawrence and Freda Reynolds; and brothers, Lawrence and Robert. Survivors include son, Scott Reynolds, and daughter-in-law, Anne Reynolds, of Bethesda, Md.; daughter, Anne Dull, and son-in-law, Scott Dull, of Clayton, N.C.; and his dearly loved grandchildren, Meghan, Brendan, Garrett, Katherine and Elizabeth.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1917, he attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, earning a journalism degree. He served as a ­lieutenant in the Marine Corp ­during World War II. Following the war, he settled in Washington, D.C., working for associations and the Washington Post.
He married Ruth Brooks in 1957. She was, in his words “the best thing that ever happened to me.” They raised two children, living first in Washington, D.C., later moving the family to Bethesda, Md., in 1972.
In the late 1960s, he founded Reynolds Publishing Company, circulating two newsletters, Public Works News and Atomic Energy Report. Collecting newsworthy data on these subjects, he wrote in the days of the typewriter long before word processors. He organized late-breaking news in his head and then, with a flurry of keystrokes, wrote eight-page newsletters in one sitting. He loved to critique the writing of his children, cutting superfluous text, asking “do you get paid by the word?” He continued his business until retirement in 1991.
Interested in a variety of subjects, he was rarely still, with an eclectic taste and love of handcrafted items. He never stopped learning, emphatically stating “you learn something new every day.” His love of the written word was evidenced by a large collection of books, with handwritten notes and observations tucked inside. He loved the classics, Dickens and Twain in particular, occasionally quoting his beloved Shakespeare. An amateur woodworker, he was fascinated by fine cabinetmaking, collecting a wide set of specialized tools in his shop. He had a diverse set of friends, farmers, builders, cabinetmakers, shopkeepers and artisans of every type.
He loved the Virginia countryside where he and his wife operated a small farm near Middleburg, Va., raising cattle from 1982 to 1992, giving each animal the name of a well-known political figure. Reagan and Kissinger both lived at his farm.
In 1994, he moved to Pinehurst. An avid golfer his entire life, he loved the game and traveled to Scotland with friends and family on several occasions. He saw golf as a metaphor for life, a contest of learning, honor, self control, courtesy and companionship. Into his 80s, he could drive a ball 240 and straight, but he could not putt.
Services will be held Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012, at Boles Funeral Home, 425 West Pennsylvania Ave., Southern Pines, NC 28387. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. with funeral services in the chapel at Boles Funeral Home immediately following at 2 p.m.
Graveside services will be held in Middleburg, Va., on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012, at the Emmanuel Middleburg Memorial Cemetery on East Federal Street.
In lieu of flowers, donations can made to FirstHealth Hospice and Palliative Care, 150 Applecross Road, Pinehurst, NC 28374.
Online condolences may be left at www.bolesfuneralhome.com.
Boles Funeral Home will be assisting the family.