Robert H. Reynolds

Robert “Bob” Hugh Reynolds was born in St Louis, Missouri on January 3, 1937, and died at the age of 89 in Carmel, Indiana on January 12, 2026. An alum of both Yale ‘58 and Harvard ‘64, and an attorney with Barnes and Thornburg from 1964 to 2001, he joins his darling wife, Carol Jemison Reynolds, and leaves behind three children–Steve, Cindy, and Laura, eight grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and one Brachiosaurus.

Bob never boasted despite a lifetime of achievement. He was an only child, the apple of his mother’s eye and the target of his father’s expectations. By his graduation from Broad Ripple High School in 1954, he had earned his Eagle Scout, gained acceptance to Yale University, and–eager for independence–enlisted in the Navy.

During his last semester at Yale, Bob met a girl named Carol, a freshman at neighboring UConn, who had dark hair, blue eyes, and a bright smile. Bob graduated from Yale in 1958 and began his military service during peacetime on the USS John Paul Jones, a destroyer. He bought Carol the first gift he ever gave her, an enamel butterfly pin, while touring the Island of Capri. Bob’s military service sparked a lifelong love of travel that he and Carol shared. Later, he gifted Carol an engagement ring and the couple married on April 8, 1961. They were married nearly 60 years. Together they visited every continent and shared a particular affinity for Italy.

In 1961, in addition to marrying Carol, Bob concluded his three-year-long deployment and began Harvard Law School. They welcomed their first child, Stephen, in 1962. Their time on the east coast solidified that Bob preferred life in the midwest. After graduating in 1963 he accepted a job with an up-and-coming law firm which would become Barnes and Thornburg and moved his family back to Indianapolis. Their second child, Cynthia, was born in 1965. Bob made partner in 1971, the same year his third child, Laura, was born. Bob worked at Barnes and Thornburg until he retired in 2005–although he kept his office and continued to work pro-bono for many more years.

Bob’s ambition extended to the things he loved. He loved Indianapolis and wanted to see it thrive. His work as a contract lawyer garnered him respect amongst local business leaders and led to his involvement in the governing boards of most major nonprofits in the state. In addition to donating his time and talents, he donated generously to the city’s museums and performing arts. Our family will smile to see Bob and Carol’s name in the beloved Dinosphere exhibit at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum for generations.

Bob received many awards during his life but cared most about three. The Boy Scouts of America awarded him the Silver Buffalo, its highest honor, in 1997 for local, regional, and national service to youth. The Governor of Indiana awarded him the Sagamore of the Wabash in 2004 for his leadership and service to the state. The Emperor of Japan awarded him the Order of the Rising Sun in 2013 for promoting friendship and understanding between Japan and the United States.

His innumerable tangible achievements, while great, still fail to capture his impact. Bob’s presence was big. Bigger than any room he occupied. Bigger than death. If you had the pleasure to meet Bob, you know. He epitomized steadfast love. He supported his business partners, his nonprofits, his city, his wife, his children, and his grandchildren through hard times. Each of us who was uplifted by him will forever strive to demonstrate our gratitude by paying his legacy of service, loyalty, and love forward.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions in Robert’s honor may be made to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis or The Boy Scouts of America.

Please join us on Monday, January 19th at Flanner Buchanan in Carmel, IN. The Visitation will take place from 11 to 1 followed by a Celebration of Life service at 1pm. A private burial, alongside his wife, will take place at Crown Hill Cemetery.