John Joseph Reynolds III

John Joseph Reynolds III (Joe) passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at his home in Ocean Pines. He was the son of the late John Joseph Reynolds, Jr. and Dorothy (McKenna) Reynolds.

During a long career in writing and photography, Reynolds was an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and served on the association's Board of Directors. After a successful career as a full-time freelance writer and photographer, including an eight-year stint as Eastern Editor for Field & Stream magazine, Joe and his wife Jeanette moved to Ocean Pines on Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1989.

Reynolds received numerous awards for his writing and photography, including selection for the coveted Nikon Outdoors Photographers Showcase. The State of Maryland selected Reynolds as Travel Writer of the Year in 1982. He also received the Gurney Godfrey Award, presented by the Maryland Fly Anglers, for "Outstanding Achievements and Continued Dedication to Conservation as Related to Maryland Fishing."

In 1985 he was given an Honorary Life Membership in the Canadian Master Anglers Association, known as "the world's most exclusive group of sport fishermen."

He was a lifelong, avid fly fisherman, and hosted the Maryland Public Television series Goin' Fishin' produced by Anne Darlington in the early 1970s.

Reynolds was one of the pioneers in developing online communities, beginning in the early 1980s with outdoors-related forums on CompuServe. Those communities became some of the most popular on CompuServe until Reynolds left in 2000. He also developed successful forums on The Microsoft Network over a two-year period. A Microsoft press release at the time called Reynolds one of the "super stars" of the Internet. In 1995, Reynolds and Outdoors Network received accolades and a nomination for the coveted ComputerWorld-Smithsonian Awards for "Heroic Achievement in Information Technology" for creating Outdoor Bytes, a magazine-on-a-disk. A copy of the project is in a time capsule at the Smithsonian.

In 2004 Reynolds created the OceanPinesForum.com website where for over 20 years community members and officials of the Ocean Pines Association, the second largest HOA in Maryland, discussed issues related to all aspects of the community and management of the HOA. As publisher and editor, he wrote extensively about news, life and politics in Ocean Pines. He doggedly pursued presenting facts to his readership. OceanPinesForum.com was named Business of the Year by the Ocean Pines Area Chamber of Commerce in 2007.

Working with local community leaders and state legislators, Joe was instrumental in ensuring passage of state legislation to provide the Ocean Pines Association with annual impact funding from Ocean Downs Casino.

Joe is remembered for his sense of humor, integrity, fairness and humility. He enjoyed boating and spending time with his family most of all.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years Jeanette (Daum), daughter Jennifer (Christopher), three granddaughters, Julia, Jessica and Anna, as well as his brothers Michael, Mark (Jean) Paul (Marie) and Carroll (Paulette).

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, John Joseph Reynolds IV.

Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM, Monday, September 15, 2025. Holy Savior Catholic Church, 1705 Philadelphia Avenue, Ocean City, MD. Visitation begins at 10:00 AM.

Mount de Sales Academy was very dear to Joe. If you feel so moved, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Joe's name to Mount deSales Academy, 700 Academy Road, Catonsville, MD 21228 or online at: https://www.mountdesalesacademy.org/giving/make-a-gift