Albert Barnett Reynolds

1931 - 2024

Albert Barnett Reynolds

January 31, 1931 - October 29, 2024

A resident of Charlottesville since 1968, Albert Barnett Reynolds died on October 29, 2024 in Charlottesville, VA. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Helen Buck Reynolds; their two daughters, Charlotte Reynolds Merrell, and Marion Reynolds Dunleavy; three grandchildren, Shannon Merrell and her wife, Emily Warmington, Robert Reynolds Merrell and his wife, Katie Dougherty Merrell, and Katerina Mai Dunleavy; and four great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by his parents, George Lazenby Reynolds and Marion Barnett Reynolds; and his brothers, Episcopal Bishop of Tennessee George Lazenby Reynolds, Jr., and Cedric (Ted) Stovall Reynolds; and his son, Albert Barnett Reynolds Jr.

Al was a nuclear scientist, an activist, and a devoted husband and father of three.

His fascination with the splitting of atoms began as a boy, after news of the first nuclear bomb in WWII. He became dedicated to peaceful uses of nuclear fission, and later to it's potential to reduce Global Warming. He characterized much of his career as "dancing with neutrons," designing reactors to maintain the neutron balance required in a reactor for sustainable power.

He worked alongside pioneers in the field of nuclear energy through it's early and formative years, helping to solve important core issues in the field. He eventually specialized in reactor safety and Fast Breeder Reactors.

His children who knew little of his dances with neutrons, experienced a kind and very present father. He was a patient tennis, ping pong, swimming, and math coach. He was there at every sports match, music or dance recital and presided over the PTA. We were proud when he led folk sing-alongs which instilled in us as early as we can remember our connection with all humanity and a passion for making the world a better place.

Al was born in Lebanon, TN, on January 31, 1931, and grew up in the hamlet of Sewanee, TN, home of the University of the South. He married Helen Buck, who also grew up in Sewanee, in 1954.

Academic excellence ran in the Reynolds family, and Al did not disappoint. He was valedictorian of his high school class, graduating from Sewanee Military Academy a year early. He sat on the debating team all four years in high school and for two years at the University of the South before he transferred to MIT in Boston. He graduated with a BS degree in Physics in 1953, an MS degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1955 and a Doctor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering in 1959. The Masters was the first degree in Nuclear Engineering offered by MIT; a PhD in Nuclear Engineering didn't exist yet.

Al served on the MIT faculty in 1955-56, as Assistant Director of the MIT Engineering Practice School at Oak Ridge, TN. His three children were born in Oak Ridge.

From 1959 to1968, he was employed at General Electric in San Jose, CA, in their nuclear energy business. He was manager of a neutron physics design unit from 1964 to 1968, where he concentrated on fast-spectrum reactor development.

He joined the Nuclear Engineering Faculty at the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia in 1968. He was Chair of the Department from 1992 to 1996.

He was a long-time member of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), where he was made a Fellow in 1986 for his research on fast-spectrum nuclear-reactor safety. He received their annual Public Education Award in 2002 for innovations in education about nuclear science. He co-authored the book Fast Breeder Reactors, published in 1981. In the 1990s, he wrote the book Bluebells and Nuclear Energy which was used throughout the country for science-teacher workshops. He was a frequent consultant to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), including an NRC review of the accident at Three Mile Island.

He and Helen were long-time activists for the Democratic Party. Together, the next seven decades, they campaigned for John Kennedy, Civil Rights, Peace in Vietnam, The United Farmer workers under Ceasar Chavez, LGBTQ rights, the United Nations, and numerous other campaigns ades.

In Charlottesville they became active supporters of LGBTQ rights and, in 1999, he chaired Charlottesville's first community conference on gay rights at the Unitarian Universalist Church. In 2003, he and Helen became founding members of the local Blue Ridge Virginia Chapter of the United Nations Association of the USA, for which he served on the Board for 15 years.

He served as president of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation from 1995 to 1997.

After retirement, they vacationed for 15 summers at a Chautauqua association called Bay View, on Lake Michigan, where Helen had spent her childhood summers.

Two of his favorite activities were sports and music. He played on his high school boxing and golf teams his first two years in high school. The next two years he switched to the basketball and tennis teams. He played college tennis at both Sewanee and MIT and he played intramural basketball throughout college. He continued to play recreational tennis until he was 85. He taught all his children to play tennis, and the Al Reynolds Sr/Al Reynolds Jr. doubles tennis team was a force to be reckoned with in local tournaments.

In music he sang in college choirs and glee clubs. He played the guitar which allowed him to lead singing at college parties and summer camp, and at folk music sing-alongs. He took up the violin later in life and in his retirement he became an enthusiastic old-time fiddler.

We hold in memory our beloved father, grandfather, and uncle, and for all those who loved and appreciated him, so many of whom he outlived: classmates, friends, students, fellow activists, teammates, colleagues, and musicians.

The memorial service will be held at Thomas Jefferson Memorial Unitarian Church at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 10, reception to follow. Burial service, 10 a.m., Monday November 11, at Panorama Farms, 3550 Reas Ford Lane, Earlysville (google exact address), reception to follow. Casual dress, walking shoes for the burial service.

In lieu of flowers, please vote for Kamala Harris.