Obituary of Crary P Reynolds
Crary P. Reynolds, 88, of Morristown, NJ, formerly of Des Moines, Iowa, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, February 7th, surrounded by her loving family.
Born in Evanston, Illinois, Crary grew up in Kenilworth, IL, a suburb on the North Shore of Chicago. She attended New Trier High School and graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Wells College (Aurora, NY), Class of 1957. She married her husband, Art Reynolds, in 1961 and raised their two children in Des Moines, Iowa. Following the passing of her husband, Crary traveled the world, including tours of China, Africa, Norway, Australia and Alaska. She also loved going on trips with her sisters.
Crary loved to volunteer her time and play in the garden. She volunteered with the Junior League in IL and Iowa. She also served as the Des Moines Symphony Guild President, chaired its Decorator Show House, and was a member of the symphony’s board. Crary moved to Chatham, NJ in 2003 and was active with her P.E.O. Chapter and with Grace Church in Madison, NJ. In 2020, she moved in with her daughter in Morristown, NJ and enjoyed time with her grandchildren, teaching them her tips and tricks on maintaining a beautiful garden. Her favorite flowers were peonies and daisies.
Crary was predeceased by her husband, F. Arthur Reynolds and her parents, J. Allen and Avis Pearson. She is survived by two sisters, Jane Varley (Maitland, FL) and Marcia Hall (Saratoga, CA) as well as her two children, Douglas Reynolds (wife Cathleen) of Houston, TX and Crary Brooks (husband Geoffrey) of Morristown, NJ. She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Jay, Winston, Hobbes and Jenny Reynolds and William, Arthur, Charles and Brian Brooks.
A memorial service will be held at a later date at Grace Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to P.E.O. Foundation, 3700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50312; P.E.O. Chapter AB of Madison, NJ; or Grace Episcopal Church, 4 Madison Ave., Madison, NJ 07940.
The bells will be rung in her honor at Wells College.
