The death of Robert Reynolds on Sept. 6 has saddened a large circle of friends and associates, many in his adopted home town here, and others in places far and wide.
Invariably known as Bob Reynolds, he became known in Wellington County in the 1990s through his work as the head of the Elora marketing committee, and much more so as a television host on the Fergus-based Cogeco cable TV system, where he presented the popular Centre Wellington Report and the Lifetimes series, on which he interviewed dozens of local personalities.
An only child, Reynolds was born in Ottawa on Jan. 22, 1929, but he grew up in Tweed, near Napanee. His father worked as the agent of the Canadian National station there. The station was on a little used line, and in 1943 the CNR shut it down completely.
Harold Reynolds, Bob’s father, received a transfer and became agent at Scarborough Junction, some nine miles east of Union Station, where a branch to Lindsay joined the Toronto-Montreal main line. Nothing could have been a greater contrast with the laconic pace of the Tweed station. The family lived on the second floor of the depot. A constant parade of wartime traffic passed Bob’s bedroom window, which was only a few feet from the main line.
The sight, sound and smell of the locomotives captured his imagination, and for the rest of his life Reynolds enjoyed talking about those years. He often helped his father with the business routine of the station after his school classes at Scarborough Collegiate. Reynolds learned business practices quickly, and also showed an ability in dealing with people that remained with him the rest of his life.
Though fascinated with the railway, he did not become a railroader. After high school he took a job as a junior clerk at the Crown Life Insurance Company in downtown Toronto. His wide curiosity, his ability to learn quickly, and especially his skills at human relations served him well during his career. He rose quickly through the ranks, and by the 1980s he had been promoted to vice president in charge of marketing.
In 1975 he married Angela Mannone, who was also employed by Crown Life. It was a second marriage for both, and an extremely happy one.
Heart problems prompted Reynolds to take an early retirement. Not one to sit around in idleness, he formed a consulting business, Reynolds and Associates, and worked as a volunteer, serving as president of the Canadian Head Injury Association and the Ontario Brain Injury Association.
Soon after his retirement, Bob and Angie Reynolds visited Elora and were overwhelmed with the beauty of the town. A while later the village became their home town. Bob lost no time in becoming an active and valuable resident.
During the 1990s he headed the Elora marketing committee. In that capacity he conceived the highly successful In Love with Elora marketing campaign for the village. He served on the economic development committee of Centre Wellington after amalgamation.
Reynolds also sat on the Greenlands committee of Centre Wellington, and on the board of the Elora-Cataract Trailway. He was an active user of the trail, often walking along its course from his Elora home to the Cogeco studios in Fergus, and stopping along the way to chat with other trail users.
As a newcomer, Reynolds recognized qualities in the community and its residents that escaped old timers. In his marketing efforts for the village he tried to build enthusiasm among the people who lived there, believing that they were the best sales people to publicize its attractions. He organized the information booth that was situated at the south end of Elora, staffed by volunteers who offered information and answered the questions of visitors.
His interest in the community eventually led to his involvement as a volunteer on-air host with the cable television system. He presented local News, but more important was his interview program, Living Legends, which was later renamed Lifetimes. A natural in this second career as a television host, he worked without a script, and usually without notes. Over the course of 15 years he tried to line up everyone who had made a significant contribution to the community for a half-hour interview. Most of those who appeared had no television experience. Bob was able to make them feel comfortable in front of the camera, and to draw out the details of their lives.
Some of those interviews lasted into a second half hour, and occasionally a third. He deeply regretted that some people would not appear, and that others passed away before he could arrange to speak with them. Video tapes of those interviews have already become collectors items, and a set of them is at the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
They will be an immense resource in the future, providing a portrait of life in Wellington County during the second half of the 20th century. Altogether he interviewed 119 people for that show.
Though he never considered standing for public office, Reynolds was a keen follower of politics, and was always ready to share his opinions and his evaluations of various public figures, which were frequently negative. A significant pass time for him was the stock market, which he followed avidly, and occasionally with a touch of bitterness or fury when a stock he held was in a downward spiral.
Though he deeply enjoyed life in Elora, Reynolds also enjoyed travelling. Nothing delighted him more than a good meal at a top-flight restaurant, and that experience was enhanced for him when he was dining with friends as his guests. For several years he and Angie spent their winters near Victoria, British Columbia, where the winter weather was easier to deal with.
Everyone who came to know Bob was impressed with his honesty, friendliness and his ability to befriend people of all backgrounds and classes. There was, perhaps, something a little old-fashioned in those qualities, but they earned him wide admiration and respect. No one who ever knew Bob Reynolds will forget him.
Following a private service on Sept. 10, Robert G. Reynolds was laid to rest in the Elora Cemetery, overlooking his beloved Village of Elora.
There will be a public service on Sept. 17 at St. James Church in Fergus.
