Faye I. Reynolds

Faye I. Reynolds

Palo

Faye I. Reynolds of Palo, IA passed away on Feb. 7, 2025, at the ripe young age of 96 after a life well lived. No funeral services will be held but a memorial service will be held at a later date.

Faye was born Dec. 18, 1928 in Palo, IA, to Arthur B and Ida Mae (Owens) Reynolds. After graduating from high school, she attended AIC in Omaha, NE, where she earned a degree in typing and shorthand. She worked for Eddy Paper in Cedar Rapids for 4 years before deciding to join her sisters Leona (Toots), Betty and Pauline in Washington DC working for the FBI (for more on this you can read “The Sisters of the FBI”, published in Feb/Mar edition of OUR IOWA, written by her niece-Jennifer Klarenbeek of The Netherlands). While at the FBI, she assisted in identifying the fingerprints of one of the Top 10 Most Wanted fugitives-which led agents to his apprehension. After 7 years in Washington DC, she returned home to help take care of her parents.

At some point after returning home, she got a job with Rockwell. She worked at Rockwell for 25 years, mostly in Personnel until her retirement in 1991. During her time at Rockwell, she furthered her education at Kirkwood and Coe.

Caretaking was Faye’s true calling. This was shown through caring for her mother and siblings during illnesses, hosting nieces and nephews for sleepovers in the basement, or feeding a legion of cats from her garage.

Faye was the ultimate hostess, whether keeping the Reynolds Family Reunion going strong after 62 years or holding court with loved ones and friends for an afternoon visit filled with recounting stories and telling jokes. You would never leave empty-handed. She would always manage to give you 3 loaves of mini breads, 6 jars of jelly, a pair of shoes she didn’t want any more, a family heirloom, or anything she had stashed in her ‘general store’ in the back room.

That generosity didn’t end with those that Faye knew. Her philanthropy touched almost every corner of Iowa. She made hundreds of blankets that were donated over the years to homeless, Camp Courageous kids, and anyone who needed a little warmth, sewed hundreds of masks during COVID that were handed out locally to the elementary schools and churches. She was an active member at Buffalo United Methodist Church for many years. Any way she could give back or help out, she would lend a hand, a leg, or shotgun.

She never missed a birthday or the opportunity to send Omaha steaks to your front door from thousands of miles away to make sure you had a good meal. She would hand write letters to everyone on holidays or just because she was thinking about them. She kept a journal every day of everything that she did and made sure to fill every hour of the day with activities.

The Boss loved to laugh and have fun, mow the lawn, read all kinds of books, and visit with her sisters. Her many, many loved ones line the entire wall by her kitchen table. Some with googly eyes that were put up for a joke, but never taken down so Faye could share the joke with each person that visited. Some of the local Palo workers even knew her as the raccoon lady. Laughter was always her best cure-all for medicine. She even swore it’s what helped keep her so young all these years.

Faye was the last sibling standing. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers John and James Reynolds, as well as sisters Mary (Sis) Karelvicz, Lillian Brown, Leona (Toots), Betty DeSotel, Ruth Ann and Pauline Hall.

Faye is survived by more than 60 nieces, nephews, great- and great-great-nieces & -nephews. Faye dearly loved each and every one of them.

Faye was a member of OE8184 in Cedar Rapids for over 50 years. Faye loved to watch Iowa Men’s and Women’s Basketball games as well as their Football team. Additionally, she loved to watch the Chicago Cubs, Pro Football, Golf and the Olympics. She hated when her teams played like a bunch of sausages and thought Caitlin Clark was the greatest athlete in any sport that she ever witnessed. And she should know-she dropped 49 points in a High School basketball game (6 on 6) back in the day.

While the family she leaves behind is devastated by the loss of such a beautiful presence in their lives, they know that the biggest reunion is happening as Faye rejoins her family in heaven.

If there is one thing she would like to pass on to the world it would be, “Now, don’t go out there and do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Memorials in Faye’s name may be made to Buffalo United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids or Camp Courageous in Monticello, IA.