Jack Reynolds passed away on July 21, 2020 with his wife Cynthia and his daughter Shannon by his side. Captain Jack was a long time commercial fisherman and a resident of Westport, MA. He was born on June 22, 1941 and raised in Attleboro, MA with his father, John A. Reynolds, mother Lillian Chevrier Reynolds, older sister Nancy Reynolds Correira and younger brother William Reynolds. All have preceded him in death.
Jack attended Coyle High School, now Coyle Cassidy, and Rhode Island School of Design. He was a hand engraver before following his true calling of the water to commercial fishing. Throughout his life, Captain Jack was either on the water or working to protect it. Jack knew everything about our coastal ecosystem and its preservation and was a sought after source of wisdom during his long fishing career. Jack used this knowledge in his long and storied history with many organizations throughout the Southcoast. He started the good fight in Attleboro when he took on the local jewelry industry to protect the Ten Mile River in the 1960s. He and Cynthia moved to Westport, MA in 1974 where his boat was docked. He immediately began working to protect the Westport River and its watersheds. Jack would pursue this with fervor for the rest of his life.
For the Town of Westport he was a founding member of the Harbor Advisory Committee, a member of the Conservation Commission and Fish Commissioner. He worked tirelessly to enforce the tenets of the Wetlands Protection Act and other important environmental legislation. He was a founding member of the Westport Fishermen’s Association (WFA) and served as its President for many years. Outside of Westport Jack was also very involved with the Buzzards Bay Coalition from the 1990s on, when he worked with them on a landmark court case to protect the Westport River. Later, he and the WFA worked with the town’s Community Preservation Committee and the state to refurbish the historic Horseneck Point Life Saving Station (LSS) and have it listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. After his retirement, if Jack wasn’t catching stripers, he was checking on the LSS.
Jack received many awards, including Buzzards Bay Coalition Guardian Award and The Standard Times 2018 Man of the Year Award. Just as important, was his fierce devotion to his family. He was a beloved husband to his wife of 58 years and a loving and inspiring father to his daughter Shannon. He was also a cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews. He is survived by his wife Cynthia Stack Reynolds, his daughter Shannon, her partner Jason Niemann, and his devoted dog Tami who will be watching out the window for him for a very long time.
The funeral Mass to which relatives and friends are invited will be at St. John the Baptist Church, 945 Main Rd., Westport on Wednesday, July 29th at 10 am.
Memorial visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 28th from 4 to 7 pm at the Potter Funeral Home.
Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the "Jack Reynolds Memorial Fund for the Westport River" at the Buzzards Bay Coalition, 114 Front St., New Bedford MA, 02740 or online at support.savebuzzardsbay.org/Jack_Reynolds.