Obituary of John A. Reynolds

MANHATTAN - John A. Reynolds passed away on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the Riverside Rehabilitation Home in Manhattan, NYC. He was 90 years old.

Son of the late William A. Reynolds and Gertrude C. Stentz Reynolds, he was born on February 8, 1935, in Bronxville, NY. He was an importer of goods from Japan, Denmark, and Ireland, which he sold under the Yeoman Group name in addition to his own name. John was also a musicologist. His Lead Belly papers are in the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.

Left to cherish his memory are his brother, Owen, and his wife, Mary Ann, of Circleville, NY, as well as several generations of nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sisters: Rose G. Rooney, Sister Mary Paul Reynolds (OSF), and Mary Elizabeth Kreutzer. He was also predeceased by his brothers: Reverend Monsignor William V. Reynolds and Reverend Monsignor Joseph F. Reynolds.

John was a world traveler and had friends in many countries. He kept up a lively correspondence with those he chose to share his life. He was especially interested in folk music and was a co-author of Lead Belly: A Life in Pictures, published in 2007.

John sold Japanese bangasas (oiled paper umbrellas), Danish bookbags, Irish handicrafts, and Korean magazine racks among his many wares. Had he been born in another age, he would have been a TikTok natural.

There will be no formal services at this time. Arrangements, including cremation, are by Crestwood Funeral Home, 445 W. 43rd St. NY, NY. A tree planting and memorial will be planned for the spring.