He goes above and beyond not only for this community, but the entire state. He is always looking for ways to help. He became involved with CARE in the early days of its existence, being one of the first members,and has been a member for 20 years. There is no way to hide who he is for very long and by the time I reach the end of the next paragraph you might have figured it out.
Born and raised in Charleston, he experienced the unexpected death of his father, at the age of 10. He and his brother had the privilege of working and learning farming and financial skills under the kind tutelage of the late Deward Bloodworth, a deacon in First Baptist Church where he and his family were members. His mother, Lillian, worked for the Tallahatchie County Welfare Department to support their small family.
He finished high school at the age of 16 and graduated Ole Miss “Summa Cum Laude” (with highest distinction) at age 19, thereby entering law school and completing his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He returned home to Charleston and began his law practice in his humble office in the basement of the Charleston Post Office across the hall from Congressman Jamie Whitten’s office. He couldn’t afford a secretary, so Catherine Mullen, longtime secretary for Jamie Whitten, would sometimes step across the hall and answer his phone, helping him to drum up a little business for his fledgling practice. Shortly afterward, he successfully ran for a seat in the Mississippi House of Representatives, a position he has held for the last 44 years.
He has served as chairman of several powerful committees in the state legislature, guiding bills through both chambers because he was able to work with both sides of the political parties. This proved to be helpful in bringing home jobs and state financial assistance to Tallahatchie and Yalobusha counties. He was known among his fellow lawmakers for his keen wit and his ability to hastily craft a needed bill sometimes on the back of a paper napkin over a lunch meeting. His knowledge of the holy scriptures enabled him many times to give an impromptu speech on the floor of the House of Representatives against bills that he felt were not in the best interest of his fellow Mississippians. He would also use his love for scriptures to implore lawmakers to pass legislation that would meet the needs of the poor and/or marginalized in our state.
He has maintained his law practice in Charleston for more than 46 years, and has a secondary office in Tupelo. He has been a member of the Charleston Rotary Club for over 40 years, and serves as Attorney for the Tallahatchie County Board of Supervisors, as well as the Attorney for the Charleston City Board of Aldermen. He has kept his name on the membership roll of the First Baptist Church of Charleston, his childhood church and a place where he fondly remembers his father, Rev. Upton Reynolds, preaching. He is also involved in a Bible study group at the Nativity Episcopal Church in Water Valley.
His first wife, Rae Marie Dicharry, passed away shortly after the birth of their daughter, Rebecca Reynolds. Four years later, he married Liz Fedric. They have two sons, Thomas Upton Reynolds, III and Daniel Reynolds, and now three grandchildren whom they adore. His retirement from the legislature will give him more time to spend with the grandchildren and to work in his large vegetable garden. He enjoys sharing his large crop of fruits and vegetables, and giving away eggs from his rather large flock of chickens. He and Liz reside in Water Valley.
In his early years of campaigning, he crafted a slogan, “Working hard. Making a difference”. He has lived by that phrase throughout the years. Even today you will find him continuing to touch people’s lives by “working hard and making a difference.”
The 2023 CAREing Heart recipient is State Representative Tommy Reynolds.
Editor's note: This tribute to Thomas U. "Tommy" Reynolds was read aloud during the Oct. 14, 2023, Gateway to the Delta Festival in Charleston by Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort Executive Director Dana Clolinger.
