"Please accept my condolences on the passing of a great man and a brave B17 pilot. I regret never having the chance to meet him , but am plaesed that he spent some of his war years in my tiny piece of Hertfordshire, England. Ellen treasure your memories of him."
In loving memory of
Gardiner Bannister Reynolds
July 29, 1922 - September 3, 2006
Middletown, RI - Gardiner Bannister Reynolds, Jr., Lt. Col. Ret. USAF of 426 Valley Road, Middletown, RI, died unexpectedly September 3rd, at Miriam Hospital in Providence. ?G.B.?, as he was affectionately known, was born in Newport, RI in 1922, the son of Gardiner B. Reynolds, Sr. and Sophie Kesson Reynolds, both families steeped in local and New England history. Maternal ancestor, Peregrine White, was born on the Mayflower as it anchored in Cape Cod Harbor, and paternal ancestors left the Massachusetts Bay Colony with Roger Williams. G.B. was the fifth in a line of Gardiner Bannister Reynoldses. Predeceased by his wife and Rogers High School sweetheart, Mary McKeehan Reynolds, and a brother, Sidney Higgins Reynolds. G.B. is survived by six children: Gardiner B. Reynolds, III of Portsmouth, RI; Christopher Kesson Reynolds of Newport, RI; Jeffrey Stewart Reynolds of Miami, FL; Scott Wesley Reynolds of Bristol, RI; Betsy Shea of Portsmouth, RI and Vickie Reynolds Hicks of Charlottesville, VA. He also leaves eleven grandchildren, including the eighth direct descendent, Gardiner Bannister Reynolds, IV of Newport, RI.After graduating from Rogers High School in 1940, Gardiner worked for the Navy Works Dept. during the expansion of the Newport Naval Base prior to WWII. After outbreak of the war, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and was assigned to Chelveston AB, England, where he flew 28 combat missions with the Eighth Air Force as a B-17 pilot. After the war, he became a photointerpreter, serving in the Far East during the Korean War and later with the Strategic Air Command in various stateside bases as well as on Guam. His last duty assignment prior to his retirement in 1965 was at Aviano AB, Italy. His awards include the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, European Theater with four battle stars, and Korean and UN citations. Returning to Newport, Gardiner was employed by the Fleet Training Center at the Navy Base until realignment of the Atlantic Fleet in 1973. During retirement, he enjoyed traveling and working in his flower gardens. An avid history buff and reader, he contributed extensively to various Air Force publications and organizational histories. His funeral will be held on Monday, September 11, 2006, at 11:00 am in St. Georges Episcopal Church, 14 Rhode Island Avenue, Newport. Burial will be in Newport Memorial Park in Middletown. Calling hours will be held on Sunday, September 10, 2006, from 6-8 in the Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the American Cancer Society, 222 Richmond Street, Suite 200, Providence, RI 02903-4253 or to the Robert Potter League For Animals, PO Box 412, Newport, RI 02840
Tributes
"Betsy and family, So sorry to hear about your loss. Our thoughts are with you at this time. Terri-Lynn, Mark, Adam & Erica Thayer"
"I have some great memories of numerous Saturdays spent looking at maps, listening to stories, playing the flying game on the computer, and getting quizzed on countries, capitols, and flags. Thank you for making those possible, Uncle GB. I will miss you, but now you can be with me in the wild and not just hear the stories!"
"Dear Betsy, and family and friends, Please accept my condolences and sincere sympathy for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family."
"Uncle G.B. was such a help to Ali and me when we returned to Newport, and all the years afterward. I can see him looking up everything on his countless maps and hear him telling endless Air Force tales. He was always interested in everything and everyone, and was so devoted to Aunt Mary. Am sure he's at peace now that their souls have joined once again. We're a very fortunate family. Love you all."
"I never thought I wouldn't see him again after our visit in May and will miss him so much. But now he is with Aunt Mary and happy. And think of them all: Gram and Grandpa, Daddy, Carolyn, Aunt Louise, Aunt Ruth, Auntie Mae, Uncle John, Aunt Helen, Aunt Bess... we are a lucky family to have had them for all the time we did."
"To family and friends, With much sympathy for your great loss and much respect for Col. G.B. Reynold's service to our country. May his "golden wings" fly him eternally into the wild blue yonder. With Much Love and Sincerity, Brenda Gaines"