He was one of the most popular figures in Decatur County. He was known for his dry sense of humor and his generous, kind heart. Almost everybody knew him, or at least had heard of him.
Although Reuben Reynolds passed away Tuesday at his home in Bainbridge, one thing is clear—he will never be forgotten by the city he loved
“Reuben did a lot of charitable things,” former city manager Charles Tyson said. “He was a great American.”
Reynolds graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1947. He attended Emory University and graduated from Oglethorpe College. He was a retired banker who had followed in this father’s footsteps to become the Chairman of the Board of the Citizens Bank and Trust Company and a timber farmer responsible for the planting of many thousands of trees during his career.
More property in Bainbridge and Decatur County belonged to Reynolds and his family than many people realized. But when he saw a need in Bainbridge, he was charitable.
The land the YMCA currently sits on was donated by him, completely free of charge.
“He loved Bainbridge and the people,” lifelong friend Mayo Livingston said. “He never lived anywhere else.”
Except, of course, for a short period when he lived in New York City. Livingston likes to joke how Reynolds didn’t stay there very long. Bainbridge was calling his name.
“We were like brothers,” Livingston recalled.
They always fished together. They loved watching Law & Order. They even both used a cane.As a supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award. He donated the Bon-Air Hotel to the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation to encourage the growth and development of downtown Bainbridge.  Reynolds had a graveside funeral service Friday morning at Oak City Cemetery with Rev. Randy Mosley officiating.