Obituary of John J Reynolds

John J. Reynolds was born on June 25, 1924 in Redwood City, California to John and Margaret (O'Malley) Reynolds. He passed away on March 4, 2013 at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona. John was proud to have attended the University of California at Berkeley where he earned BA, MA and PhD degrees in Spanish. He taught at the University of Arizona in Tucson during the 1950's. He then moved to New York City where he was a distinguished professor at St. John's University for thirty years until his retirement in 1991. He taught courses in Spanish Literature and Language. He was the author of numerous scholarly articles and several books including "Juan Timoneda" for the Twayne World Authors Series, "Spanish Golden Age Drama" and "Repase y Escriba", a widely used advanced grammar and composition textbook. During his teaching years John spent many summers with his family in Santa Cruz. Upon retirement he moved back to Arizona, living in Tempe and Scottsdale. John was generous, thoughtful, intelligent, and witty. He was incredibly well-read, and because his knowledge was so wide-ranging he was an excellent conversationalist. He was interested in art, history, politics and theology. He also had a special interest in genealogy and was proud of his Irish heritage. When living in New York he enjoyed the theater and was a patron of the Metropolitan Opera. He was a generous supporter of many charitable causes. He will be missed by all who knew him well, especially his family. He was predeceased by his sister Gerry Howe of Santa Cruz; he is survived by his nephews James Howe (and wife Bev) of Paso Robles, CA; Paul (and Sheri) Howe of Santa Cruz; Jack (and Trudi) Howe of Santa Cruz; and Michael Howe of Aptos; and his niece Margaret Howe of Santa Cruz. He is also survived by many grand and great-grand nephews and nieces. The family would like to thank the caregivers from Harmony Hospice of Scottsdale and the staff at Villa Ocotillo in Scottsdale for the care they provided to John in his final days. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Harmony Hospice; 4300 N. Miller Road Suite 110; Scottsdale, AZ 85251. A private burial will be held in Santa Cruz. Please visit www.pacificgardenschapel.com to light a candle for John and share any condolences with his family.