Ronnie Jay “Ron” Reynolds, 72, of Killduff, died Thursday, May 15, 2025, at Montezuma Specialty Care. The family greeted friends from 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, May 21, at Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory, Newton. Memorials to the Newton Music Boosters may be left at the funeral home.
Ron, the son of Howard and Darlene (Wilson) Reynolds, was born Sept. 22, 1952, in Minneapolis, MN. At the age of four, he moved to Newton. Ron attended Newton Community Schools, and despite his best efforts, graduated in the Class of 1971. Ron then served his country in the U.S. Army during Vietnam War from 1971-1973. Upon returning, Ron worked in the factory at the Maytag Company for 30 years, retiring in 2005. During the same time, he also owned a comic book shop in downtown Newton and owned The Pool Doctor in the Newton area. After his official retirement, he decided being at home was boring and worked for several years at Iowa’s Best Burger Café (“The Station”), where he made many friends and acquaintances.
In 1999, Ron met his longtime partner, Cindy Arkema. They joined their lives and made their home in Killduff. Together, they enjoyed going to the Knoxville races and playing slot machines at local casinos. Ron was a member of Newton Jaycees, Izaak Walton League, and Elks Lodge. Ron also enjoyed going to auctions to find treasures and then reselling them on his Ebay and Etsy pages. This business kept both he and Cindy busy through the years. Ron was a lifelong avid Newton Cardinals fan, especially following the football team. He had a soft heart for animals and became an amateur cat rescuer, caring for and adopting several of the stray cats in Killduff. He loved spending time with his grandchildren, Chloe and Reagan, taking them to football games, acting as their taxi service, making sure they never went hungry, telling them stories, and imparting several life lessons and words of wisdom. He was always willing to play cards or board games with them, trying to add his own rules and claiming they were cheaters if he lost.
Ron is survived by his wife, Cindy Arkema of Killduff; stepdaughter, Christa (Shaun) Vander Weerdt; grandchildren, Chloe and Reagan Vander Weerdt; and his brother, Joe (Sandra) Reynolds of Newton. He was preceded in death by his parents; maternal grandparents, Harley and Lottie Wilson; and stepson, Anthony Arkema.
