The capacity of Lord of Life Church was put to the test on March 13, 2009. A funeral was scheduled to take place, but apparently nobody told that to the 1,100 people who clogged the sanctuary built to seat 900. They were there to celebrate a life, and not just any life. This was by far the largest attendance at any funeral ever at the Maple Grove Lutheran church, a telling fact about Jim Reynolds (1960-2009).
“This is the reality: You don’t want anyone to come to your funeral,” says Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, pastor at Lord of Life Church and a longtime friend of Reynolds’. “You want to outlive them all, and when you die young, more people show up. But I think that outpouring of people showed how many lives he touched.”
Battle to the End
Reynolds died March 3, 2009 at the age of 48 after a seven-year battle with a brain aneurysm in his basilar artery (near his brain stem). The aneurysm, which was originally deemed inoperable because of its location and size, was discovered in 2002 and was operated on in 2004 at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. The bypass operation, which partially clipped his aneurysm, was a temporary success that bought Reynolds what ended up being another five years of life.
“He convinced all of us,” says Michael Reynolds, Jim’s oldest son. “We all knew way in the back of our minds the probability wasn’t in our favor. But the last thing he wanted was family, friends and the community to lose sleep over it. I really am a firm believer in positive energy, and that, above everything, was what he passed on to me.”
Jim started to show symptoms of his condition in 2007, and they became painful enough in January of 2009 for Reynolds to head back to Barrow. He was there for five and a half weeks enduring multiple surgeries, but a major stroke in his brain stem ended up claiming his life.
“Until the end, you just didn’t know he was sick because he was just such a trouper,” says Kris Reynolds, Jim’s wife of 26 years. “He just kept plugging away. He was like ‘I’m not going to sit here and feel sorry for myself. I’m going to live my life and I’m going to do what I want to do.’”
And he did, often joined by many others.
Connecting the Community
Jim was invested in Maple Grove and its surrounding community in ways that stretch the imagination. As a businessman, he was a founder and owner of JRA Financial Advisors and was also a player in the local commercial real estate scene. But he was perhaps best known for bringing people and businesses together, such as the new inhabitants of the new Lifestyle Commons retail center. Dave’s Sport Shop, Simonson’s Salon & Spa and Maple Grove Cycling Trek all wanted to own their own property, so Reynolds brought the longtime local businesses together and put them in touch with their developer, Arrow Companies. The building will open this spring with a plaque to honor Reynolds.
“When I think of Jim probably two words come to mind,” says Kathy Moss, who helped build JRA (Jim Reynolds Associates) Financial Advisors as Jim’s partner and is now CFO. “One is ‘visionary’. I’ve been in the business world for a long time now and I’ve met very few people as visionary as he is. He truly could see things and opportunities that other people couldn’t. I think that’s the second word that I’d apply to Jim, is ‘opportunity’. And not opportunity for him, though he did create it, but the opportunity he created for so many other people.”
As a renowned philanthropist, Reynolds gave back to numerous charities, such as Smile Network International—helping children with cleft palates—and the Starkey Hearing Foundation—supplying hearing instruments around the world. He received the Angel Award in 2009 for his involvement in the Randy Shaver Cancer Foundation, and served in community organizations such as the North Hennepin Area Chamber of Commerce and Maple Grove Rotary Club.
Reynolds was also a huge supporter of local youth, often raising money for education or athletic programs. As a former president and longtime member of the District 279 Foundation, Reynolds’ lobbying efforts played a big role in getting a key district bond referendum passed, which allowed for Osseo High School to get its new gymnasium, and Maple Grove and Park Center high schools to get new football fields. Reynolds was also on the North Hennepin Community College Board of Directors, helping to raise scholarship money for students. And with two sons (Michael, now 25, and Rick, 22) and a daughter (Jenna, 20) who grew up through local youth basketball and dance programs, Reynolds was constantly either coaching or fundraising for local athletic teams. “He worked incredibly long hours, but he was incredibly involved,” Kris explains. “I don’t think he ever missed a sporting event or a dance event or other school stuff. He always managed to find the time because it was important to him.”
The Legacy Lives On
Jim Reynolds will never be forgotten by those who knew him. But to make sure his name continues to be associated with helping others, Jim’s friends and family started the Jim Reynolds Foundation. The nonprofit organization, which officially launched with a fundraising event on January 16 at the JRA Financial Building, supports research and development for brain aneurysm identification and treatment. Money raised will go towards furthering the progress of medical treatment, as well as help support families that are impacted by neurological and endovascular challenges.
Jim had expressed interest in starting a foundation in his later years, but his health and time constraints made it too difficult. After he passed away his longtime friend Brian Thorkelson approached Kris about making the Jim Reynolds Foundation a reality. “I just jumped all over it,” Kris remembers. “It’s such a wonderful thing because that’s exactly what he would love for us to do. It’s a wonderful tribute to him, it’s a way to keep his memory alive in the community forever, and it benefits others that are dealing with this.”
The launch raised $20,000, and like so many celebrations Jim Reynolds was involved in, it was well attended. “He always found the good in anyone he met,” Kris says. “And anyone he met became his friend, and he thought of them that way. He just welcomed anybody. The more the merrier was his thing. He loved bringing people together.”
Music & Matchmaking
Thorkelson first crossed paths with Reynolds when their daughters started dancing together at a young age. Through his kids’ sports outings, Reynolds rounded up Thorkelson, Jon Estes and Jeff Becker to become the founding members of the MLC Band, a local favorite in Maple Grove. (Jim also brought in current lead singer Paige Poyer.) “There’s really nobody that Jim doesn’t know,” Thorkelson says. “Jim’s whole life seemed to be spent finding out who would get along with who and where a relationship could blossom. He was just the ultimate matchmaker in the sense of business and social settings.”
After Reynolds started having his brain surgeries, he decided he wanted to get in the mix and learn to play the bass guitar. He learned several songs he performed as an impromptu bass player for the MLC Band including local hometown crowd favorite Brown Eyed Girl. “Jim, amazingly, had a really good ear and a good sense of rhythm, so he was able to play a half dozen songs pretty well.”
After Reynolds’ death, Thorkelson thought, based on the charitable way his longtime friend lived his life, it was only appropriate to start what would become the Jim Reynolds Foundation. “My first inclination was to do it in the pursuit of using music as rehabilitation, because that’s what Jim had done using the bass guitar to bring back his coordination,” Thorkelson remembers. “But then I looked at it and said ‘that’s very neat and very important, but there are people, even in Kris’ family, that are at risk of developing similar situations so maybe we should spend our time and effort on a higher cause (brain aneurysm treatment and research).’ I brought it up to Kris and she said ‘that’s a great idea.’ It’s been a little hard to get it going, but ultimately it will be well worth it.”
“You really can’t drive around Maple Grove without seeing Jim’s impact,” Thorkelson continues. “Whether it be the schools, whether it be businesses, Jim had his fingers in everything. I will miss that, and I do miss that.”
Family First
As those who knew him best would admit, Reynolds lived his life in fast forward, constantly formulating new ideas and taking on new tasks at a rapid pace. But his crazy schedule didn’t necessarily come at a cost to his family life. “He just had an energy that was contagious,” Michael says. “And that’s what I believe in most in him was his energy; every exchange was an opportunity. But no matter how busy he was or how many obligations he had, it can’t be overlooked that—you’d look at the resume and say you have to pick and choose where he delegates his time—he’d never pass on being there for the important parts of being a father. All families have sacrifice, but in his mind, family was always priority number one.”
That often meant coaching or cheering at his sons’ basketball games or his daughter’s dance recitals. “He just had a knack for getting involved with all the kids and their families,” remembers Rick. “Quickly, in the first tournament, he’d round up the families and we’d all go out after the games and banquets. He loved entertaining people, he loved getting social functions going and he just loved to have a good time. He was fun. He was very involved and would love to come watch us perform and play (sports). He was a big cheerleader of all of ours.”
Kris was accustomed to sharing her husband with his countless business and social outlets. Like a local celebrity, being surrounded by the crowd was a way of life of Jim. And it was a way of life that Kris knew brought out the best in her husband. “He was just there for everybody in whatever capacity that they needed or wanted,” Kris says. “He was a great friend, a wonderful husband, a fabulous father. He just was a very unique, extra-special person, and I just feel so blessed just knowing him and sharing so much of my life with him.”
