The LuLac Edition #4,367, August 2nd, 2020

BOB REYNOLDS DIES

Local broadcast journalist Bob Reynolds passed away at the age of 67 after an extended illness. Reynolds was a local mainstay in the broadcast industry since the early 1970s. He worked at almost every radio station back in the day when there was radio news. There was a time when stations had news departments that sent reporters out to the meetings, fires and events that happened in the region. Most notably he worked at WILK, WMJW FM and WARM in his radio days.

Most recently this year, Bob sat in on the Frank Andrews show on WILK with his former co-worker Mark Davis.
Reynolds made his mark though in TV. After leaving radio he became a regular reporter for Newswatch 16. Reynolds range was huge. He could cover a simple snow storm story as well as digging deep as a hard nosed reporter. His style was factual, non-combative and calm. With Bob Reynolds you got the story without bombast but a great deal of nuance and truth. The only people who didn’t universally care for Reynolds reporting were those he was investigating and diming out.

Bob retired from his job at WNEP in 2014 but not from life. His retirement was filled with friends, family, his pets, his old colleagues and action. He didn’t give up on life and was living every minute of it. When William Shatner came to town this January, there was Bob. When there was a radio or TV reunion, Bob was there. When he was called upon by the working media of today to relate his experience on an anniversary of a major local news event, he was there. Always at his side recently was his wife Paul Deignan Reynolds cracking wise with his friends but always keeping a careful eye on how he was doing, which by the way was always a profile in personal courage on his part. The Deignan-Reynolds was a news broadcast family. As reporters they were old school with those values that are sometimes missing these days. That professional life extended to their marriage where the vow “in sickness and health” was a way of life, not just a phrase on the way to the wedding toast.
There are many comments on social media today on his death. Many viewers say they felt as if they knew him and were sad that he was gone too soon. The bottom line was Bob Reynolds was a genuine guy that people could relate to whether they met him in person or just saw or heard him through the media.
Genuine. That’s what he was. The way he lived his life, in front and behind the camera reminds me of the saying, “Ten minutes with a genuine friend is better than years spent with anyone less.” To those who spent only 10 minutes with him or a lifetime, Bob Reynolds was our gift. He will be missed.