David Reynolds' Obituary
David Wayne Reynolds, 79, died April 16 in his home in Atlanta, Georgia, surrounded by his immediate family.
A memorial service will be held for family this summer at his lake house in Big Canoe, Georgia.
He was born March 5, 1932, in El Dorado, Arkansas, the only son of Martha Jane and Clarence Wayne Reynolds and grandson of Clarence Bertram Reynolds and Syda Lise Courtney Reynolds. David attended El Dorado High School where he lettered in football and wrestling.
Following high school, David enlisted in the army where he served as Army Staff Sergeant for the Medical Division 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment during the Korean War from 1951 to 1954. Honors included the Army Commendation Medal for his actions following a bazooka explosion and selection to play in the U.S. Army Paratrooper Bowl in Ft. Jackson, South Carolina (1953) representing Ft. Campbell, KY.
In September of 1954, he wed Patsy Dickson, also from El Dorado. In 2010, the couple celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary.
David attended Southern State College on the GI bill and a football scholarship, graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, History and English. He played for the Muleriders as starting center and linebacker and was named Honorable Mention All American and Sportsman of the Year his senior year. Following undergraduate school, David attended the University of Oklahoma College of Law, graduating with a law degree in 1960. During his undergraduate and graduate years, David helped pay his bills by roughnecking in the oilfields.
In 1961, David applied his passion for the law to the enforcement side, becoming a Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he served until 1966. During that time he received six letters of commendation from J. Edgar Hoover.
Eventually David’s career led him to the lumber industry where he worked for Dierks, Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific. During this time he moved up through the ranks from labor negotiator to Director of Labor Relations for the West Coast for Weyerhaeuser to Senior Vice President of Human Resources, Security, Infrastructure and Administration for Georgia-Pacific. As his career progressed, he and wife Patsy moved from Arkansas to Tacoma, Washington, and then back south again to Atlanta, Georgia.
David received a number of honors and appointments including spokesman for the Pacific Coast Pulp and Paper Industry during multiple years of labor negotiations; spokesman for the Pacific Coast Forest Wood Products industry in multiple industry-wide negotiations; and president of the Atlanta Private Industry Council (provides training and employment for the disadvantaged).
In early April of 2011, David’s alma mater – Southern Arkansas University – named him a Distinguished Golden Rider Alumnus for his significant personal and professional accomplishments.
David is survived by his wife, Patsy Reynolds and three daughters, Davi Paulette Reynolds-Sprenkel, Christi Lee McEachern and Laura Ann Werner along with his seven grandchildren. A man of rare integrity and deep compassion, he will be missed.
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