Lloyd R. Reynolds, 89

Lloyd R. Reynolds, 89, began his journey to heaven Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at home with his family.

Lloyd was a longtime resident of Priest River, Idaho, and an extremely hard-working family man with a genuine heart of gold. He loved nothing more than spending the afternoon fishing, enjoying a good football game, reading a great book, or planning (or carrying out) his next well-natured prank. The man, the myth ­— the legend — our Lloyd will be missed by all that had the privilege of knowing him.

Lloyd was born on Nov. 4, 1930, in Broadus, Montana. He was the youngest son of 10 children born to John and Olive Reynolds. He moved to the Colburn area of North Idaho from Montana as a young boy, then eventually to Priest River and recalls meeting his best friend Carl Pitts when they entered the fifth grade. He graduated from Priest River High School in 1950 and has many great memories of being on the school’s varsity boxing team that went to state all four years. After high school Lloyd joined the Army where he was trained as a paratrooper at Fort Campbell, then assigned to the 11th Airborne division boxing team in 1952. During that time he performed at Madison Square Garden, winning the Eastern Division for that competition. He was a Golden Glove Boxing Champ of three Eastern states, winning 53 fights before ever losing a match. In November 1953 he was honorably discharged from the Army.

In February 1955, he married the beautiful Janice Anne Mitchell and they were blessed with four children.

Lloyd started his working career as a sawyer during the winter of 1953 in the picturesque woods of North Idaho. Ten years later he became hi-lead/skyline-crane operator for Ackerman Logging Company (later purchased by Don Pettit). In 1965, he went to work for Murphy Brothers Construction as a hi-scaler. He was drilling rocks and adding the dynamite to those rocks to create roads. He worked there nearly a year before a boulder cut the rope that sent him free falling 65 feet. He made the wise decision to change jobs after a difficult recovery.

When logging shut down from 1972-’74, he went to work on the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline as a crane operate in Valdez, Alaska. Then returned to Ackerman Logging as a hi-lead crane operator and a sawyer from 1976–1993. Over these decades Lloyd also raised cattle on his property, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Lloyd attempted retirement three times, but found himself working at numerous jobs around town instead. One at Priest River IGA, another at Miller Logging Company, then as a security guard, and even a groundskeeper at the Ranch Club. Finally, in 1997, he officially retired.

In 2002, Lloyd and Laurence Reynolds co-owned the honorable title of “Bull of the Woods” for the annual Priest River Timber Day Festival. Upon full retirement Lloyd built his second home on Eastside Road, where he welcomed grandchildren and great-grandchildren for many holiday and birthday celebrations. Lloyd is preceded in death by his first wife Janice, who also lost a difficult battle with cancer in 2000.

Lloyd’s children welcomed Sonja Reedholm with open arms to the family at their wedding on a warm summer day in June 2004. Lloyd and Sonja enjoyed their retired years together, traveling and having a second small home in Palm Springs. They also greatly enjoyed hosting an annual Christmas Eve dinner for all the combined family their home could hold.

Lloyd was preceded in death by his first wife, Janice Mitchell; and brothers John, Warren, Forrest, and Laurence; as well as sisters Udell, Wanda, Fern, and Lillian; brother-in-law Gerald Mitchell and Robert Reedholm; sister-in-law Sharon Graham.

Lloyd is survived by his lovely wife Sonja; younger adored sister Shirley; devoted daughters Debra Reneé (Lee) Porch, Kathleen Marie (Dana) Emerson, and Audrey Kristine (Robert) Hoepfer; son Karl Sheldon Reynolds; and step-son Stephen Michael Bell. Surviving grandchildren include Craig Jordan, Dawn Eldenburg, Nickolas Jordan, Jen Allbee, Karla Martin, Rob Hoepfer Jr., Brett Reynolds, Jensen Eldenburg, Katy Rae Hoepfer, Jerrylee Porch, Joseph Hoepfer, Angela Searles, Melissa Eldenburg, Jessica Brumley, and Jonas Bell; brother-in-law Wallace Mitchell, Claude Graham, Eddy Hamacher, and Joseph Reedholm; sister-in-law Kathy Mitchell. Lloyd also leaves behind 35 great-grandchildren and 5 great-great-grandchildren, as well as many many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at the Priest River Event Center for our beloved Lloyd on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 11:00am. A potluck luncheon will be held directly after the memorial, followed by a Veteran’s Service at The Evergreen Cemetery between 2-2:30pm. In lieu of flowers the family asks if you wish to make a donation please do so in Lloyd’s name to the Priest River Animal Rescue.

Sherman-Campbell Funeral and Cremation Services in Newport is in charge of arrangements. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guest book at shermancampbell.com.