Robert Reynolds

1936 - 2026

OBITUARY

Robert Howard Reynolds – beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, cousin, uncle, and friend, passed away on March 2, 2026 at the age of 89.

Born on December 11, 1936 at New York Hospital in Manhattan to Howard and Margaret Reynolds (née Schmidt) of Maspeth, Queens, Bob was the second of three wonderful children in a tight-knit family that treasured their home, church, neighbors, community, city, country and most of all their extended family and each other. He loved every school he attended in his boyhood and graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in 1954. After two years at Queens College, he enlisted in the United States Army and revered his time serving the country he loved at Fort Dix, Fort Monmouth, Fort Gordon, Fort Benning, and in Heidelberg, Germany and Verdun, France while deployed with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Upon his return to New York City, Bob entered the New York Police Academy on February 24, 1961 and spent the next 27 years of his life serving the city and people that shaped him as a police officer and Sergeant. During his time with the NYPD, he cherished his patrol time in the “old” 14th Precinct and the 90th Precinct. Until the day he died, Bob never tired of talking about and reading history and architecture books about the city he cherished and every building, neighborhood and inch of pavement in New York City deeply influenced the man he was. All aspects of New York City were dear to him, however as a young police officer, he was especially fond of automats. He returned to college later in life and earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the New York Institute of Technology.

One very fine day in 1965, Bob’s life changed forever when he met his soul mate, Patricia Virginia Rose through his younger sister Margie. He loved Pat’s spirit, spunk, and independence and they married on September 24,1966 at St. Sebastian’s Church in Woodside, Queens and moved to Ridgewood, Queens. In 1972, they settled in New Hyde Park where they raised their children and devoted themselves to their home and community.

Bob and Pat cherished and fully lived every minute of their fifty-nine years of married life together with singular devotion to each other. There were many travels and adventures in the United States and Europe including numerous road trips around and across the U.S. with their four children throughout the 1970s and 80s to countless National Parks, museums, monuments, battlefields of the Civil and Revolutionary Wars, state capitals, theme parks, factories, and of course the Grand Ole Opry.

Bob is survived by his loving family: his wife, Patricia; his four children, John, James (Tracy), Christine, Brian (Kelly); his sisters Martha Hoffman (Edward) and Margaret Kromar (Helmut), sister-in-law Anne Rose (Larry) and brother-in-law John Jardine (Mary); his five granddaughters, Dawn Reynolds, Erica Williams (Michael), Ashley Kearney (Zachary), Emily O’Shea (Bailey) and Kristen Reynolds; and three great-grandchildren Michael and Jayson Willams – his first great-granddaughter Eliana Williams was born several minutes after her great-grandfather passed away. The news of the arrival of his first great-granddaughter would have brought him great joy. Bob is also survived by many beloved nieces and nephews.

Bob’s warm presence and steady guidance will be profoundly missed by all those who knew and loved him who know he has been reunited with the dear family who have predeceased him – especially his beloved parents, Howard and Margaret; his cherished Uncles Willy and Teddy; his adored cousins Yvonne Kickuth, Rich, Bill, and Reid Reynolds; and the many friends he made and loved during every stage of his life. There was no better or more devoted son, nephew, cousin and friend than Bob. His life consisted of endless good small and large deeds done quietly and constantly, without being asked and never needing acknowledgment. He could fix, paint, sand, stain, saw, construct, restore, hang, transport, install and engrave all manner of materials and objects. The history and provenance of everything he treasured was essential to him so that the people who came before us were always respected and remembered. This is reflected on the countless beautiful items he had and gave to others with his meticulous labeling in precise penmanship on the back of whatever object it was. Bob was a living example of doing the right thing always with humility, grace, and of course meticulous attention to every detail. His family takes comfort in knowing that Bob now rests with God and his spirit will live on in the many people he shaped, supported, nurtured, encouraged, and loved. We know how extraordinarily lucky we were to have had him in our lives.

In lieu of flowers please make donations in Bob’s name to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

VISITATION

Friday, March 6 2:00 - 4:30 PM & 7:00 - 9:30 PM

New Hyde Park Funeral Home 506 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY

FUNERAL SERVICE

Saturday, March 7

10:00 AM

New Hyde Park Funeral Home

506 Lakeville Road, New Hyde Park, NY

INTERMENT

Saturday, March 7

11:45 AM

All Faiths Cemetery 67-29 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, NY