WILLIAM J. REYNOLDS
William J. "Bill" Reynolds, age 89, husband of the late Julia Elizabeth Gundy Reynolds, died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2008, at Covenant Place.
He was born in New Orleans, La., on June 4, 1918, a son of the late William Michael Reynolds and Edna C. Coyle Reynolds. He learned to fly in 1939 while a student at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas. After graduation from college in June 1941, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet. Following graduation from flight school in June 1942, he served as a fighter pilot in World War II, flying the P-40 in the 49th Fighter Group stationed in New Guinea, Southwest Pacific area, where he received the American Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Ribbon and the Overseas Service Bar. After returning to the United States, he served in a number of areas as flight instructor, operations officer, and squadron commander. He left the Air Force after 10 years of active duty to manage a civilian contract pilot training school, training pilots for the U.S. Air Force. He returned to the Air Force as a civilian regional director of aerospace education and retired at Andrews Air Force Base after 40 years of association with the Air Force.
Mr. Reynolds earned his commercial pilot's license and was a self-taught artist. He started his paintings during his college years and was commissioned to do drawings for one volume of a seven volume Catholic history of Texas; the originals are in the Papal Library in Rome. As an artist, he was best known for his aviation works. His many varied experiences in aviation were translated to his canvas and his limited edition signed prints have been sold in a number of galleries across the United States. He had produced more than 400 original works of art in his lifetime. In 1995, the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees formally approved the establishment of the William J. Reynolds Gallery at the University of South Carolina Sumter and on Oct. 14, 1997, the Gallery was formally dedicated. Displayed are many of his original oils and more than 50 prints of his original oil paintings.
Mr. Reynolds was a member of the American Association of Aviation Artists and the American Society for Aerospace Education, where he was elected to the Society's Hall of Honor in 1981. He was a charter member of the Air Force Association, which awarded him a Citation of Honor for military aviation art in 1985. He also received a Certificate of Honor from the National Aeronautic Association in 1994; and was elected as an honorary member of the Order of Daedalians, America's premiere organization of military fighter pilots, in 1997. He was a member of the Sunset Country Club, the American Legion and was a member of St. Anne's Catholic Church.
Surviving are one son, John Patrick Reynolds and his wife, Norma, of Charleston; two daughters, Sylvia Anne Deprill and her husband, Harold L. Deprill Jr., of Sumter and Susan Elizabeth DuBose and her husband, Daniel T. DuBose, of Statesville, N.C.; six grandchildren, Harold L. "Trey" Deprill III, William Michael Deprill and his wife, Laura, David Joseph Deprill, Steven Daniel DuBose and his wife, Becky, Suzanne Elizabeth DuBose Leonard and her husband, John, and John Patrick Reynolds Jr.; and two great-grandchildren, Hayden Ashley Deprill and Ryan Daniel DuBose.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Jack Reynolds of New Orleans.
A Christian Burial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Anne's Catholic Church with the Rev. Thomas Burke, C.Ss.R. officiating. Burial with military honors will be held at Evergreen Memorial Park following the service.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Order of Daedalians.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday with a prayer vigil at 7 p.m. at Bullock Funeral Home and at other times at the family residence.
Memorials may be made to St. Anne's Catholic Church, "One Faith, One Family" fund, 216 E. Liberty St., Sumter, SC 29150 or to the Julia Reynolds Memorial Scholarship Education Fund, 200 Miller Road, Sumter, SC 29150.
Online memorial messages may be made to the family at www.bullockfuneralhome.com.
The family has chosen Bullock Funeral Home of Sumter for the arrangements.