Virginia "Jennie" Reynolds

There wasn’t a room, garden or event that Jennie Reynolds couldn’t vastly improve with a couple hours, and a dash of this and a bit of that. Her boundless creativity and ability to improvise were legendary. Jennie’s outward elegance, grace and charm, however, belied an inner toughness that was widely admired by her colleagues, family and friends. Much of her grace under pressure was, no doubt, attributable to her upbringing in Greenville, South Carolina, where she was the sometimes unwitting playmate of four rough and tumble brothers and the eldest role model for her two sisters. 

After high school, Jennie attended Furman University, earning a degree in nursing and setting a record for the highest score on the Nursing Board Exam. Afterwards, she worked as a psychiatric nurse in Charleston, SC with Dr. Ramsey Mellette while going on to help start the Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) at MUSC. 

At the core of her many skills was an unquenchable love for beautiful places and experiences. She simply had the touch when it came to interior decorating, floral arrangements, gardening, unique dinners and event planning-always embedding a small but meaningful touch of whimsy into her work. She was an avid member of The Garden Club of America, serving as Chairwoman of the GCA Bulletin from 2010-2012 and earning a Zone VIII Historic Preservation Award. Jennie was also Vice Chairwoman of the Palmetto Garden Club from 2008-2010, going on to win the Historic Preservation Award in 2011. She also held a special place in her heart for Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, SC, where her involvement was celebrated with an honorary plaque. Her love of flora and gardening were such that Jennie was sometimes known to go on sunset walks through the neighborhood, stealthily armed with a pair of hand shears should any rose, magnolia blossom or intriguing bit of filler foliage just happen to stray a little too far into the sidewalk. Her creativity flourished in interior decorating and event planning as a partner at Panches Design in Columbia, SC. Jennie also loved interacting with people, working at the Carol Saunders Gallery in Columbia, SC for a number of years. 

Jennie was the wife of Dr. James C. Reynolds (predeceased) for an amazing 50 years, and she is survived by her three daughters; Mary “Leiza” Reynolds McLeod, Sallie Fielding Reynolds Allen (Elliott) and Virginia McAlister “Alister” Carey (Chris); and five grandchildren; Lydia Montague McLeod, Wren McAlister Allen, Lucie Fielding Allen, Jack Reynolds Carey and Matthew Hilton Carey; as well as her two sisters and three of her four brothers. 

Her family and friends are grateful to have been blessed by her presence and will cherish her memory, knowing she is at peace with her beloved husband Jim. She adored her many friendships across the state and beyond, ones that will simply not be the same without her. 

Funeral service will be held on Friday, June 30 at 11 a.m. at The Chapel at Bishop Gadsden in Charleston, SC. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. 

While Jennie always loved flowers, she preferred instead that charitable contributions be made in her honor to The Garden Club of America at gcamerica.org/contribute or The Nature Conservancy at nature.org/en-us/ in “Other Ways to Give” under the “Membership and Giving” tab. 

To watch the celebration of life service, use this link:

Bishop Gadsden Videos - YouTube