James H. Reynolds

MONONA - James "Jim" Reynolds lost his battle with dementia on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020, at the age of 84. Waiting for him with open arms are his wife, Anna; his son, Scott; his parents, Lyylia and Henry; his aunt, Eloise; his uncle, Ty; and many furry four-legged friends. He was born in Waukegan, Ill., and lived there for 38 years. It is there he met his high school sweetheart and future wife, and where together they raised their three children. In 1974, Jim and his family moved to Wausau so that he could take a position with Drott/J.I. Case, a job that he took a lot of pride in. Eventually he was transferred to Racine, where he made numerous good friends during his time with Drott and Case. When he retired, they moved to Arbor Vitae, near their beloved north woods cabin. In retirement, Jim and Anna were active in biking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing groups, and did a lot of volunteering in the community. He had a lifelong love of cars and enjoyed attending the Indy 500 and watching NASCAR. He and mom would often spend part of the winter RV'ing along the gulf coast to escape the cold Wisconsin winters. His happiest moments, however, were time spent with his children, grandchildren, and eventually his great-grandchildren. Jim was proud of his son, Scott being a U.S. Marine and was devastated when he was killed in the line of duty. After mom died, he moved to Madison to be closer to family. Jim continued to make friends easily, especially at Sauk Gardens, where he enjoyed coffee and donuts with his buddies and was a member of the ‘Romeos’. His family, Winn (Tom) Eckert and Alicia (Mark) Winnen; four grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; daughter-in-law, Stacie; sister-in-law, Nancy; along with extended family and numerous friends will always think of him when taking trips to the cabin, eating Swedish pancakes, listening to New Orleans jazz and Jackie Gleason, taking family cruises, eating Finnish biscuits, drinking margaritas, and fishing. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Heritage for their care and compassion over the past few years while he dealt with the ravages of dementia, and Agrace HospiceCare for providing comfort at the end. Per his wishes and the current pandemic, there will be no service. Fuzzy Grandpa, we will miss your quiet demeanor, your ability to make friends easily, your cheerful positive attitude, and we hope you finally found the elusive warm weather you were always seeking. Thank you for all the wonderful memories. Love, your family. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420