[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17686-17688]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 FUNERAL OF WILLIAM GRAY REYNOLDS, JR.

 Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, when word of Bill's passing came 
last Wednesday, I was with my 102-year-old mother in Salisbury, NC. 
Mother had met Bill on many occasions, and she shared in my great grief 
at losing such a cherished friend. As I expressed frustration over the 
unfairness of Bill's death at such an early age, mother said, 
``Elizabeth, it isn't how long you live, it's how you live.''
  Today we pay tribute to a remarkable individual who will always stand 
for me as a shining example of how a truly good life should be lived.

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  Each of us here probably has a different word we would use to 
describe Bill. Words like: Kind. Thoughtful. Caring. Humble. Strong. 
Courageous. But perhaps the word that best captures Bill is one we hear 
all too infrequently these days. That word is ``gentleman.'' Gentle 
man.
  Webster's defines a gentleman as ``a courteous, gracious, and 
honorable man.'' I will always define a gentleman as Bill Reynolds.
  I first became acquainted with this gentleman when we were young 
lawyers in the Nation's capital and found ourselves on opposite sides 
of the courtroom. Bill was an assistant United States attorney, and I 
was taking cases for indigents--those who could not afford a lawyer.
  The Washington, DC criminal court of those days was straight out of a 
Damon Runyon novel, with colorful personalities like Racehorse 
Mitchell, a criminal who brought new meaning to the term 
``recidivist,'' and Judge Buddy Beard, a jurist who brought new meaning 
to the word ``irascible.'' As I watched Bill navigate and operate in 
this world, it didn't take me long to appreciate his honesty, his 
integrity, his legal skills and the ever present smile on his face and 
twinkle in his eye.
  Bill and I became fast friends, and our experiences in the courtroom 
provided us with a lifetime of stories and smiles. I especially 
remember the night I was unexpectedly assigned by Judge Beard to my 
first case, a man accused of petting a lion at the zoo, a Greek 
immigrant who spoke no English. Mr. Marinas, after climbing into the 
lion's cage, was charged with the crime of violating a Federal law that 
says you are not to annoy or tease the animals at the National Zoo. 
Since he would have skipped town, I had to go to trial that very 
night--a trial I somehow won by arguing that without the lion there as 
a witness, how in the world could you know whether he was annoyed or 
teased? Bill's friend, Lee Freeman, the prosecuting attorney and first 
in my class at Harvard Law School, yelled, ``But your Honor, this man 
was found in the antelope cage just 3 weeks ago!'' I thought, uh-oh, 
take your victory and run! Bill was in the back of the courtroom 
providing moral support, and neither of us could drive by a zoo after 
that experience without a lot of laughter.
  Outside of work, Bill and I visited each other's hometowns, and I had 
the true privilege of becoming acquainted with his parents, brother, 
sisters and extended family--and traveling with the family on many 
weekend trips. How wonderful it was to see the love that Bill's family 
had for one another, the joy they took in each other's company, and the 
commitment they shared to use their resources to help those in need.
  As I continued my career in Washington and Bill returned to Richmond 
to help lead Reynolds Metals Corporation, his family business, the time 
we spent together decreased, but the admiration and respect I held for 
him only increased. I watched with pride as Bill earned a reputation as 
a respected and effective leader of his industry, and as a wise and 
most generous philanthropist.
  As president of the American Red Cross, I was privileged to lead an 
organization that boasts over a million volunteers and I can't think of 
a one who took more joy in volunteering--and in fundraising--than Bill. 
If there is anyone here today Bill didn't recruit to play in the annual 
Red Cross Golf Classic he founded, then you must have been hiding from 
him! And just 3 weeks ago, 3 weeks ago, he attended the Golf Classic 
Dinner. I am told he was given a hero's welcome--though he modestly 
tried to discourage it--and that everyone was so proud to tell how he 
knew Bill, about experiences they had shared. What a testimonial to the 
love in that room for Bill. What a testimonial to his grit! If Bill 
Reynolds had an enemy, it might only be someone he had put in prison. 
Brother Randy tells of a deep-sea fishing trip off the coast of 
Florida. One of the crew on the boat said, ``Mr. Reynolds, you don't 
remember but you sent me to jail in DC!'' Even he felt no resentment, 
though Bill felt a little nervous the rest of the fishing trip!
  The Bible tells us that God loves a cheerful giver--and Bill was 
truly that--a cheerful giver.
  Joe Dippell shared with me something very typical of Bill. When Joe's 
son, Allen, was 7 years old and the family was visiting Bill here in 
Richmond, young Allen wanted everything he saw--he wanted this toy, he 
wanted that toy. Joe kept saying ``No, Allen, no, no, no.'' Later on, 
as they left to go play golf, Bill said ``Joe, follow me in your car.'' 
And suddenly Joe noticed son Allen had jumped in with Bill. Soon they 
pulled up to a store--Bill and Allen went in and came out loaded with 
boxes. Yes, I bet you have guessed it--Bill, with his heart of gold, 
had bought Allen every toy he wanted.
  As an officer of the Missionary Emergency Fund, just recently Bill 
instigated efforts to refurbish the Reynolds Lodge in my home state--in 
Montreat, NC, a part of the religiously based Montreat Conference 
Center, and there are so many more examples.
  What guided Bill to do so much and to give so much to so many others? 
I believe it was love: The love Bill had for God and for his fellow 
man. In the Bible we learn that the greatest commandment is to love God 
with all one's heart, mind, soul and strength--and secondly, to love 
others as oneself.
  1st Corinthians, Chapter 13, ends with the words ``Now abideth faith, 
hope, and love, these three, but the greatest of these is love.''
  I always thought that faith would be the greatest, but I have come to 
realize that faith is just the means to love, because, as the Bible 
says, God is love and love is the only thing that lasts.
  I believe Bill knew this. Whether it was law or business or 
athletics, he excelled and succeeded in everything he put his mind to. 
There were many accomplishments Bill never told me about, though I got 
to know him soon after they occurred. The obituary in the Richmond 
Times Dispatch mentioned all-State honors in three sports as a high 
school athlete; captain of the University of Pennsylvania tennis and 
squash teams; student body president at the University of Pennsylvania; 
student body president at UVA Law School; recipient of the Red Cross 
Philos Award--Philanthropist of the Year. Yes, I saw the extent of 
Bill's humility and modesty only after his death.
  But he knew that it is not the honors or the prestige or the 
accomplishments that really matter. Those don't go with us into 
eternity; rather, it is the acts of love, kindness, caring, 
compassion--because God is love, those go with us.
  There is a little book I often carry in my briefcase by Henry 
Drummond, who lived in the 1800's, in Scotland. It is called ``The 
Greatest Thing in the World''--Love.
  In it, Drummond writes that ``just as you have seen a man of science 
take a beam of light and pass it through a crystal prism, as you have 
seen it come out the other side of the prism broken up into its 
component colors red, blue, yellow, violet, orange, and all the colors 
of the rainbow,'' so, too, in First Corinthians does the Apostle Paul 
pass love through a prism, and it comes out the other side broken up 
into nine ingredients. As we celebrate Bill's life, think about these 
components listed in 1st Corinthians: Patience. Kindness. Generosity. 
Humility. Courtesy. Unselfishness. Good temper. Guile-
lessness. Sincerity. Those, the Bible tells us, are the nine 
ingredients of love. And I know we can all agree--those are 
characteristics Bill Reynolds exhibited each and every day of his life.
  Just as Bill provided us with an example of how to live, he also 
provided us an example of how to die. Throughout his battle with 
cancer, there were no complaints, no bitterness, no pity parties. 
Typically, Bill was more concerned about others, and when the course of 
his illness became clear, Randy tells me Bill apologized to his sister, 
Louise, that he would not be there to help her on projects and missions 
they shared.
  I especially recall a visit with Bill in Richmond last November, soon 
after my election to the Senate. Instead of discussing his battle, Bill 
wanted to talk politics--he loved politics--and he

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peppered me with questions about my campaign, providing me with his 
keen insight into the issues of the day. It was a time I will always 
remember, and the meal we shared just a few months ago in Washington, 
where he attended the Fentriss wedding. How his family and friends will 
miss his wisdom, his smile, and the warmth of his friendship. How this 
community will miss his leadership. How all of us are better off for 
having known this good and faithful gentleman.
  The Greek poet Sophocles wrote, ``One must wait until the evening to 
see how splendid the day has been.''
  Although the evening of Bill's life came much too soon, it is my hope 
that we who loved him will take solace in the fact that in his final 
days, Bill could look back at a life filled with accomplishment, a life 
filled with family and friends, a life filled with love, and know 
without a doubt that the day had indeed been splendid.

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