Earl Reynolds

East Lyme — Earl William Reynolds, 78, beloved husband of Patricia V. Reynolds of East Lyme, passed away unexpectedly Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Earl was born Nov. 20,1942, in Torrington, to Olive and Francis Reynolds.

He graduated from Allegheny College in 1964, where he was a member of Alpha

Chi Rho fraternity and the Army ROTC program. He earned his master’s degree in teaching from the University of Connecticut and began his teaching career with Waterford Public Schools in 1965. He taught Spanish at Waterford High School for 33 years, where he enjoyed interacting with students, chaperoned several trips to Spain through the AFS Intercultural Program and served as department chairman for the Foreign Language Department. In addition to teaching, he also coached the Waterford High School girls’ soccer team from 1980 to 1991, where he was affectionately referred to as “Coach Reyn” by the team. He retired from teaching in 1998.

Earl loved spending time fly fishing at the Salmon and Four Mile Rivers in Connecticut and being outdoors with his dog. He was an avid reader and looked forward to completing the New York Times crossword puzzle each day. Earl traveled frequently to visit his family and grandchildren in New York and Virginia, and in his earlier years, enjoyed traveling to Spain with his wife and family.

Earl is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patricia Reynolds; as well as his daughters, Valerie J. Harp (Brian) and Lauren E. Hutchison; his grandchildren, Jack, Chelsea, Drew, Emmy and Lily; and his brother John Reynolds (Linda). A celebration of Earl’s life will be planned for a later date this summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Waterford High School Parent Scholarship Fund, or Labs4Rescue are gratefully welcomed. Thomas L. Neilan & Sons East Lyme Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. For memorial guestbook, please visit www.neilanfuneralhome.com.