JACK STEPHEN REYNOLDS

Jack Stephen Reynolds, 80, passed away on April 10, 2024, after a long illness. He was born on June 3, 1943, in Springfield, to Charles Stanley and Helen Wood Reynolds,
He spent most of his life in the southwest Missouri area, graduating from Central High School in 1961. He attended Wichita State University before graduating from Southwest Missouri State with a degree in music, and in later years, earned a master’s degree in Aviation Safety from Central Missouri State University. He completed his military service in the Army before starting his career as an air traffic controller at the FAA Center in Olathe, Kan., later serving as an ATC instructor at the FAA Training Academy. In 1986, he transferred to the Springfield Control Tower where he remained until his retirement in 1997.
After retiring from one career, he moved on to start a new one as chief pilot for the Paul Mueller Company, he flew employees and clients around the US, Canada, and Mexico in King Air 110 Papa Mike, his pride and joy. After earning his Private Pilot Certificate, he achieved his ratings for Instrument Flight, Multi-Engine Aircraft, Land & Sea Aircraft, Commercial Pilot, Airline Transport Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, CFII, CFI MEI, and was a licensed Airframe & Power Plant Mechanic. As a Flight Instructor, He worked with countless students of all ages and at all levels of complexity, changing lives and shaping careers in the process. He was President Emeritus of the United States Pilots Association, a lifetime member of the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association and Experimental Aircraft Association, as well as a member of the Missouri Pilots Association and the Quiet Birdmen. He was inducted into the Amelia Earhart International Forest of Friendship and on May 19, 2022, was presented with the FAA’s Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award for 50 years of safe flight.
He was a man of strong Christian faith regularly playing piano at church services, most recently at Mount Gilead Methodist in Bolivar.
He is survived by his daughter, Jacqueline (Shannon) Bills of Willard; son, Marcus (Ruby) Reynolds of Aurora; four grandchildren and their spouses; five great-grandchildren; brothers, John Reynolds of Rogersville and Jerry Reynolds of Springfield; sister, Susan Hankins of Louisville, Ky.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Sally Rice.
A private burial will be held at White Chapel Memorial Gardens under the direction and care of Greenlawn Funeral Home North in Springfield. There will be a celebration of life at 3 p.m. on June 2, 2024, at the Springfield Downtown Airport, located at 2546 East Division Street in Springfield. All friends and family are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers and to honor Jack’s legacy, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation to support students pursuing a career in aviation. Donations should be designated in memory of Jack Reynolds and can be made by mailing a check to the OTC Foundation, 1001 E Chestnut Expressway, Springfield, MO 65802.