John Luther Reynolds

John L. Reynolds, a former conductor of the St. Petersburg Male Chorus and Music Director of Christ United Methodist Church has died at age 80 on Monday, May 5, 2003 at Bay Pines Hospice. A resident of St. Petersburg since 1956, Mr. Reynolds died of complications from cancer. The ninth of twelve children, he was born on February 7, 1923 in Martinsburg, WV. During World War II John earned his degree from the Navy School of Music, Washington, D.C. and then he served in the Navy for six years playing flute, piccolo, saxophone and performing as tenor soloist with the Navy Band all over the U.S.A. and Africa. After the war, and before moving to St. Petersburg, he and his wife, Barbara, resided in Rhode Island where they had three children, Karen, Tedi and John, Jr. The entire family was known throughout New England and Florida as the Singing Reynolds Family. While conductor of the St. Petersburg Male Chorus from 1957-1967, the chorus was chosen as the official representative for the city by the City Council. The Male Chorus made annual concert trips to Stephen Foster Memorial in White Springs and sang for the National Federation of Music Clubs Convention in Miami in 1965. They also performed on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour. Mr. Reynolds has been a member of Christ United Methodist Church since 1956. He was the tenor soloist and assistant Music Director before taking on the position of full-time Music Director in 1963, a position he held until 1977. He then directed the choir programs at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Largo for five years. While Music Director at Christ United Methodist Church he founded the Saturday Night Concert Series which featured guest soloists and choirs from all over the country as well as several choirs that performed coming from Europe and Ireland. The concerts drew an average of 800-1000 residents every week in the winter. The Christ Church choirs, under his direction, were chosen to sing at the opening of the city?s Bayfront Center. In 1968 John and his wife organized ?A Great Day of Methodist Singing? at the Bayfront Center in which 1100 choir members from all area churches performed for 8500 people. For three years in the 1960s, John was invited to conduct over 1200 singers at the Annual Summer Music Festival in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. He also performed as an original singer for three years on the nationally televised religious program, ?Day of Discovery,? which was filmed at Bayfront Center and Cypress Gardens. John served on the board of the Arts Council of St. Petersburg for two years. In the 1970s, John helped Barbara organize and manage travels abroad for many local residents. John soon realized, ?People are people. People are beautiful all over the world.? They continued to lead tours abroad until 1999. When John and Barbara moved into Suncoast Manor in 2000, he was quickly drawn into organizing and conducting a resident chorus, which performed for holidays and special events. Mr. Reynolds is survived by his wife of 61 years, Barbara; two daughters, Karen Kadel of St. Petersburg and Tedi Ballou of Huntsville, AL; and one son, John Jr. of Clearwater; also nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, three sisters and one brother. Friends may celebrate the life of Mr. Reynolds at a special service to be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 467 First Ave. N., on Saturday, May 10, at 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Christ United Methodist Church Sanctuary Audio Enhancement Fund in memory of his love of music or to the Bay Pines Hospice, payable to VAMC Bay Pines GPF 1086 and mailed to Bay Pines VAMC Hospice Ward 4B, Bay Pines FL 33744.