John Nelson Reynolds

John Nelson Reynolds, 52, of Orlando, FL went to the loving arms of Jesus on April 22, 2026.

John was born in St. Petersburg, FL on August 12, 1973 to Charlie and Barbara Reynolds. His family relocated to Winter Haven, FL when he was two and that was truly his hometown. John, the youngest of four, enjoyed an idyllic childhood in central Florida, frequently visiting Walt Disney World and the local attractions which sparked his love of all things entertainment, movies most especially.

John graduated from Winter Haven High School and then took his studies to Santa Fe College and the University of Florida in Gainesville, graduating with a degree in Marketing. He moved to Orlando and found work at Universal Studios, which turned out to be his happy place. He was a loyal and dedicated Team Member for more than 20 years. John loved everything about the theme parks and was a true ambassador for family fun. He especially enjoyed working and attending events where he could rub elbows with his favorite actors and creatives. Spooky Empire was his favorite.

You can’t think of John without thinking about the movies. He loved all aspects of film and celebrated the storytelling while appreciating the technical nuances. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of movie lines and plot summaries, especially all things Star Wars. He was our go-to movie critic and if you ever played a TV or movie trivia game you absolutely wanted John on your team.

John is survived by Lesia Sullivan, his loving partner of 14 years and their faithful rescue pup, Yoda; his parents, Barbara and Charlie Reynolds; siblings Teri Jones (Jeff), Charlie Reynolds (Amy), Ted Reynolds (Elizabeth); seven nieces and nephews; eight great nieces and nephews and countless friends that claimed him as family and loved him dearly.

Fifty two years wasn’t enough. We’re all forever grateful for John’s kindheartedness and his ever present smile. We will always remember his love of a good joke, his crazy passion for his Fantasy Football teams and his happy outlook on life. He embodied the fun uncle. He was the man who never forgot a friend. He was the one who made people smile when he walked in the room. Rest easy, John, the Force will be with you, always.

Services will be held on April 30th, 2026 at 2:00 PM at Redeemer Winter Haven; 1410 Dundee Road, Winter Haven, FL 33884. A reception will follow at the church hall immediately following and all are invited to share memories of John.

In lieu of flowers, please honor John’s memory with a donation to Catapalooza (https://www.catapalooza.org) or to the pet rescue of your choice.

And consider going to the movies. Or renting your favorite film and enjoying it with a big bucket of popcorn. That would make John smile.