Community advocate, Santa Clarita Valley veteran historian, and proud member of “The Boys of ‘67” William “Bill” Reynolds has died, family announced Monday.
Reynolds was born on Aug. 5, 1946, in Mineral Wells, Texas. His mother and father had met in Sydney, Australia during the Pacific theater of World War II, and had returned to his father’s hometown to raise a family.
The Reynolds family spent time in Texas, then Australia, then finally in the San Fernando Valley, where Bill would eventually graduate from Grover Cleveland High School on June 19, 1964.
After a few years working at General Motors in Van Nuys, Reynolds would be drafted into the United States Army to fight in the Vietnam War.
“This short letter instantly turned my world upside down,” he said of receiving his draft letter.
See Related: From The U.S. Army ‘Boys Of 67’ To Veteran Community Leader
After returning home, Reynolds held a 28-year career at Lockheed’s Skunkworks Company, before retiring and committing himself to the service for local veterans’ issues.
“I have known Bill for many years, I have always not only admired him, but appreciated all he has done for the veterans in our community,” said former Santa Clarita Councilman Bob Kellar, an Army veteran himself. “Our prayers are with his family and loved ones.”
Anyone who met Bill Reynolds could speak of the pride that he held in his time spent in service to his nation. Reynolds spent years interviewing Santa Clarita Valley veterans, assisting in establishing a memorial wall at the Veteran’s Plaza, and speaking out on veteran’s issues in the Santa Clarita Valley.
I was heartbroken to learn that the Santa Clarita Valley lost a pivotal member of our community and a close friend of mine, Bill Reynolds. Bill, a Vietnam veteran, was a friend to all and a strong advocate for our veterans.
— Rep. Mike Garcia (@RepMikeGarcia) January 11, 2021
“He worked tirelessly to better the Santa Clarita Valley. Bill will be greatly missed but never forgotten,” wrote Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, of Reynolds Monday.
Reynolds served as KHTS’ Director of Veteran’s Affairs since June 2019, providing articles and interviews with local veterans to help preserve their histories.
“Bill Reynolds was a class act, he was so passionate about veterans and I loved hearing his own stories about serving for the military,” said KHTS Co-Owner Carl Goldman. “He cared so much about Santa Clarita and is definitely an asset our community had that will be sorely, sorely missed.”
He had recently undergone heart surgery in December, though no immediate cause of death was available as of Monday.
Reynolds is survived by his wife Meg, their children and grandchildren.
Read More: Hometown Heroes — Our Veterans
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