Obituary for Michael Patrick "Zool" Reynolds
Age 72, passed away on March 27, 2019 in Newark at the Little Sisters of the Poor Jeanne Jugan Residence.
Born and raised in Elsmere, Michael was the oldest of the eleven children of Mary (Conway) and Lawrence Reynolds. He graduated from Corpus Christi School, and he was very proud to be a Salesianum gentleman, Class of 1965. His Elsmere friends nicknamed him Zool, a name which followed him for the rest of his life.
Michael volunteered for the Marine Corps in 1967. He served four years with the Marines, including 13 months in Vietnam, attaining the rank of corporal.
After he completed his military service, Michael attended the University of Delaware, graduating summa cum laude in 1974. He went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1977.
Michael started his distinguished legal career as an Assistant City Solicitor in the administration of Mayor William T. McLaughlin. Except for two years in private practice with the law firm of Wilson and Whittington, all of Michael’s forty year legal career was devoted to public service. He served as Counsel to the Wilmington City Council and later Counsel to the New Castle County Council. Michael returned to the Office of the City Solicitor to serve as First Assistant and then City Solicitor during the administration of Mayor Dan Frawley.
Michael was appointed as a Commissioner of the Superior Court of Delaware by Governor Tom Carper in 1994, serving until his retirement from the Court in 2015. Upon his retirement, court staff awarded Michael a Lifetime Achievement award for improving staff morale. He delighted in playing the role of Santa for the children of Court employees at the annual Court holiday party each year for 20 years.
Michael was devoted to and in many ways defined by his large and loving Irish Catholic family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Bridin Clare Reynolds, and his brothers, James Reynolds and Daniel Reynolds. He is survived by his children, Megan Aisling Reynolds and her spouse, Sarah Hill, Mary Casey Reynolds, Kathleen Marie Reynolds, and Michael Patrick Reynolds, Jr.; his grandchildren, Georgia and Rosalie Hill and Keegan and Nolan Hughes; his siblings, Mary Frances Reynolds, Margaret Schlatter (Karl), Larry Reynolds (Beth), Terry Reynolds (Susan), Patti Daly (Dan), John Reynolds (Claire), Stephen Reynolds (Carolyn), and Sr. Frances Catherine, LSP, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Michael was also proud to be an active parishioner at St. Ann Church for over 40 years, where he served as Eucharistic Minister and in other leadership roles. He aspired to visit as many sacred sites around the globe as he could, traveling to many of them with Catholic travel groups.
Those who knew him can attest that Michael showed his deep pride in his faith, military service, and heritage through his wardrobe that consisted almost entirely of items bearing the Marine Corps, Notre Dame, or Salesianum emblems. He put a Semper Fi bumper sticker on every car he ever owned as well as on his son Michael’s baby swing.
Relatives and friends are invited to the Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, April 1, at 11:00 am at St. Ann R.C. Church, Gilpin Avenue and Union Street, Wilmington. A viewing will take place at Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home, 1400 Kirkwood Highway, Elsmere, on Sunday, March 31, from 5:00-8:00 pm. Burial will be in All Saints Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Little Sisters of the Poor, 185 Salem Church Road, Newark, DE 19702.
Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home
302.994.9614
www.delawarefuneral.com
Born and raised in Elsmere, Michael was the oldest of the eleven children of Mary (Conway) and Lawrence Reynolds. He graduated from Corpus Christi School, and he was very proud to be a Salesianum gentleman, Class of 1965. His Elsmere friends nicknamed him Zool, a name which followed him for the rest of his life.
Michael volunteered for the Marine Corps in 1967. He served four years with the Marines, including 13 months in Vietnam, attaining the rank of corporal.
After he completed his military service, Michael attended the University of Delaware, graduating summa cum laude in 1974. He went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1977.
Michael started his distinguished legal career as an Assistant City Solicitor in the administration of Mayor William T. McLaughlin. Except for two years in private practice with the law firm of Wilson and Whittington, all of Michael’s forty year legal career was devoted to public service. He served as Counsel to the Wilmington City Council and later Counsel to the New Castle County Council. Michael returned to the Office of the City Solicitor to serve as First Assistant and then City Solicitor during the administration of Mayor Dan Frawley.
Michael was appointed as a Commissioner of the Superior Court of Delaware by Governor Tom Carper in 1994, serving until his retirement from the Court in 2015. Upon his retirement, court staff awarded Michael a Lifetime Achievement award for improving staff morale. He delighted in playing the role of Santa for the children of Court employees at the annual Court holiday party each year for 20 years.
Michael was devoted to and in many ways defined by his large and loving Irish Catholic family. He was preceded in death by his parents, his daughter, Bridin Clare Reynolds, and his brothers, James Reynolds and Daniel Reynolds. He is survived by his children, Megan Aisling Reynolds and her spouse, Sarah Hill, Mary Casey Reynolds, Kathleen Marie Reynolds, and Michael Patrick Reynolds, Jr.; his grandchildren, Georgia and Rosalie Hill and Keegan and Nolan Hughes; his siblings, Mary Frances Reynolds, Margaret Schlatter (Karl), Larry Reynolds (Beth), Terry Reynolds (Susan), Patti Daly (Dan), John Reynolds (Claire), Stephen Reynolds (Carolyn), and Sr. Frances Catherine, LSP, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
Michael was also proud to be an active parishioner at St. Ann Church for over 40 years, where he served as Eucharistic Minister and in other leadership roles. He aspired to visit as many sacred sites around the globe as he could, traveling to many of them with Catholic travel groups.
Those who knew him can attest that Michael showed his deep pride in his faith, military service, and heritage through his wardrobe that consisted almost entirely of items bearing the Marine Corps, Notre Dame, or Salesianum emblems. He put a Semper Fi bumper sticker on every car he ever owned as well as on his son Michael’s baby swing.
Relatives and friends are invited to the Mass of Christian Burial on Monday, April 1, at 11:00 am at St. Ann R.C. Church, Gilpin Avenue and Union Street, Wilmington. A viewing will take place at Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home, 1400 Kirkwood Highway, Elsmere, on Sunday, March 31, from 5:00-8:00 pm. Burial will be in All Saints Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Little Sisters of the Poor, 185 Salem Church Road, Newark, DE 19702.
Krienen-Griffith Funeral Home
302.994.9614
www.delawarefuneral.com