Created Sept 7, 2017
In Memory
This eternal flame burns forever
in remembrance of Gary Wayne Reynolds
Gary Wayne Reynolds
October 27, 1943 - March 8, 2026
Gary Wayne Reynolds, 82, succumbed to
pancreatic cancer on March 8, 2026,
in Bella Vista, AR. He was born on October 27, 1943, in Kansas
City, Missouri,
the second son of Forest and LaVona Joy Reynolds.
When
Gary was five years old, his maternal
grandfather passed away, and his
father was finally able to fulfill a lifelong
dream of farming. The family
moved to Joy Acres, an 80-acre farm outside
Holden, Missouri, while
continuing to rent the 160 acres his
grandfather had farmed since the
1930s. It was there that Gary s character was
formed in hard work,
faith, family, and community.
He attended Pleasant View School, a
one-room schoolhouse serving
grades one through eight, located a mile and a
half from home. Gary and
his brother Don walked each day, often
catching rides from passing
neighbors and strangers along Highway 131 - a
testament to a different
time. Their mother served as the school cook.
At age eight, while attending church
camp at Knob Noster State Park at
the evening campfire, Gary accepted Jesus
Christ as his Lord and Savior.
He grew up attending First Baptist Church in
Holden and remained a
devoted member of the Southern Baptist Church
throughout his life.
When Pleasant View was annexed into the
Holden School District, Gary s
mother encouraged him to join the school band.
With the help of his
music teacher and an installment plan, Gary
purchased a tenor
saxophone. To make the payments, he worked in
the school lunchroom,
handing out milk cartons and cleaning up,
giving up recess. He learned
early that if you wanted to play, you had to
pay.
While at Mizzou, Gary met Virginia
Stonner. One Saturday evening, he
invited her to church the following morning.
Gary was never late for
anything in his life, except for church that
day. They would have been too
late for the Methodist Church, but on time for
the Baptist church. He never
asked again which church she preferred. Gary
and Virginia were married
on September 5, 1965, beginning a partnership
that would span 60 years.
Their daughter Catherine Joy was born while
they lived in Columbia.
Gary began his banking career as an
agricultural loan officer in Nevada,
Missouri, where his daughter Brenda was born.
He was ordained as a
deacon at First Baptist Church in Nevada,
reflecting both his leadership
and deep faith.
In 1974, after the passing of Virginia s
father, the family moved to
Marshall, Missouri. During these years, Gary
and Virginia bought and
renovated several homes including one
famously painted John Deere
green simply because the paint was a bargain.
In 1984, Gary became a bank president in
Trenton, Missouri the first of
everal banks he would serve as bank president, including
Bethany,
Hamilton, Pattonsburg,
and Chamois. He was deeply involved in civic
leadership everywhere he lived and served as
Mayor while in Chamois.
He believed leadership was service, and
service was a responsibility.
Family was central to Gary s life. Each
summer, during his two-week
vacation, he carefully planned family trips
across the United States so
that each day included a new experience or
lesson. Travel was never idle
it was educational, intentional, and often included farmland. While
driving through the Rocky Mountains, Virginia
would often comment on
how pretty it was and that Gary was not
allowed to look and had to keep
his eyes on the road. Many trips included side trips to check out
farmland
or other items that the bank had a loan
on. Several trips included
repossessing cars. He rarely returned home by the same route,
always
curious to see new farmland.
In 2008, Gary decided to retire from
banking, and they moved to Bella
Vista.
Well, this concept of slowing down and retirement did not take.
Gary took up a real estate business. He also bought several houses to
flip and then sell or rent. Doing nothing was never his gift.
Gary devoured many different newspapers,
including towns where they
used to live in, to stay informed. He treasured the friendships from the
Bella Vista Traveling Sams and Ozark
Winnies. He loved being outdoors
gardening, fishing, camping and he was happiest when active.
Gary was preceded in death by his
parents, Forest and LaVona Reynolds;
his in-laws, Jesse and Dorothy Stonner; and
his sister-in-law, Annaleisa
Reynolds.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years,
Virginia; daughters, Cathy Bail
(Keith) of Boonville, Missouri, and Brenda
Reynolds-Decker (Karl) of
Cypress, Texas; grandchildren, Casey
Decker-Klank (Alex) of Cypress,
Texas; Landon Bail (Bre Smith) of Columbia;
and Carson Bail of
Boonville; his brother, Don (Deanna) of
Columbia; sister-in-law, Judy
Eaheart (Edwin) of Marshall; nieces and
nephews, Nancy Ripperger
(Brian) of Ashland, MO; David Eaheart of
Kansas City, MO; Dietlinde
Stitzer (Joe) of Columbia, MO, and Kirk
Reynolds (Kennedy) of Lafayette,
CO.
Gary loved the Lord, his family, the
land, and a life of purpose. He
believed in leaving every situation and
every person better than he
found them. His life was not measured merely
in years, but in service
given, lessons taught, land tended,
communities strengthened, and love
shared.
A life well lived is one that makes the
world better. Gary did exactly that.
Visitation will be held on Thursday,
March 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Village
Baptist Church, 380 Glasgow Rd., Bella Vista,
AR 72715, followed by a
memorial service at 2:00 p.m. A live stream
will be available at Village
Baptist Church on Facebook. A graveside
service will be held on
Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at
Ridge Park Cemetery, 804 E.
Yerby St., Marshall, MO 65340, followed by a
reception at Bloomfield
Family Restaurant, 1335 W. Vest St., Marshall,
MO 65340 (just off
Business 65).
In lieu of flowers, memorial
contributions may be made to Village Baptist
Church, 380
Glasgow Rd, Bella Vista, AR 72715, Bella Vista Historical
Society,
1885 Bella Vista Way, Bella Vista, AR 72714 or Circle of Life
Hospice, 901 Jones Rd, Springdale, AR.
Though He's gone, He is not forgotten.
Though absent, He remains in spirit.
Though once a worker, He now rest.
by The Arkansas Good Sams
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