John Edward Reynolds

John Edward Reynolds. Age 74 years, of Boston, passed away February 8th, 2026, of natural causes. He was a lover of life, music, and all things violin (his chosen instrument).

His indomitable spirit and passion for the violin fueled his success in overcoming formidable life challenges along his path to becoming a fine professional violinist and teacher.

Born to an African-American father and an Irish mother, John entered the world with facial deformities, virtual deafness, and speech impairment. He suffered ridicule and social isolation from an early age because of his unusual appearance and impeded speech. His medical issues were eventually managed through surgeries, speech therapy, and the use of specialized hearing devices.

When a nun offered to teach violin to any volunteers from his fourth grade class, he was the only student who raised his hand. He excelled at violin despite being forbidden by his stepmother to practice it at home. After a few years he successfully auditioned for the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (GBYSO) which he performed in throughout high school. In 1969 he traveled with GBYSO to an international youth orchestra festival in St Moritz, Switzerland, where Leopold Stokowski conducted, and GBYSO, under the direction of Walter Eisenberg, won an award for being the best orchestra.

A devout Catholic, John was a member of his beloved St Cecelia's Parish in Boston. He was deeply grateful for the extraordinary love and support he received from the church community. He was also eternally appreciative of all those in Boston's medical community who consistently worked to support and improve his life. These included staff members at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Fenway Health, as well as the many kind and inspiring staff members and therapists at the CareOne facilities in Brookline and Newton where he resided for the last few years of his life.

John received scholarships to the Boston University School of Fine and Applied Arts and to the Juilliard School, where he studied violin with Roman Totenberg and Ivan Galamian, respectively. Gleaning invaluable knowledge from these pedagogues, he eventually distinguished himself as an extraordinary teacher in his own right. HIs former students include highly successful professional violinists.

During his summers as a college student, John attended Tanglewood as a member of the Berkshire Music Center Orchestra, where he was conducted by Seiji Ozawa and Leonard Bernstein, and the Meadowmount Music School, where he studied with Sally Thomas. As a professional, he performed with many orchestras including The Worcester Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Joseph Silverstein, The Esplanade Orchestra under Arthur Fiedler, and The Opera Company of Boston under Sarah Caldwell. He toured nationally with Diana Ross and spent several summers playing with the AIMS Orchestra in Graz, Austria, conducted by Cornelius Eberhardt alongside members of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

John possessed a powerful intellect and a devastatingly sarcastic wit. A keen observer of human behavior, he was a gifted impersonator of his teachers and conductors, brilliantly imitating their subtle and not-so-subtle mannerisms as well as their speech. He loved to incite laughter and was famous for regaling his friends with hilarious musical anecdotes. As an ever-popular GBYSO summer music camp counselor, he would elicit explosive laughter from throngs of admiring teenage orchestra members by performing stand-up comedy on demand.

During his middle years, encouraged by his friend, Masonic Grand Master John Daverio, he became a Mason and attended the masonic lodges of Boston and Winchester.

John was a generous life-long friend to many. He was an exceptionally good listener, always thoughtful and often able to share invaluable life wisdom. He faced inordinate financial hardship through much of his life but never gave up on his dreams. He continually rose above seemingly insurmountable circumstances to share his extremely meaningful personal gifts (which no amount of money could buy) with his close friends, who regarded him a "family member".

John's life had a magical, inspiring influence on nearly everyone he knew. His personal warmth, intelligence, incredible sense of humor and the sweet sound of his beloved violin brightened our world immeasurably and will be forever cherished in our memories.

Family and friends will honor and remember John’s life by celebrating a Funeral Mass in St. Cecilia Church, 18 Belvidere Street, Boston, at a date and time to be announced.