Bill Reynolds, a well-known author who spent nearly four decades writing a cherished column for The Providence Journal as well as writing twelve extraordinary novels, died on Thursday at the age of 78.
Who was Bill Reynolds?
Bill Reynolds rose to prominence as a basketball prodigy in the 1960s, succeeding at Barrington High School and Brown University. Throughout his life, he participated in friendly pickup games, demonstrating an unwavering love for the sport.
Reynolds’s enduringly popular Saturday column, fittingly named “For What It’s Worth,” was considered required reading for Journal subscribers.
He presented his thoughts on the current sports stories, as well as his tastes for books, movies, and an eclectic range of topics that attracted his thoughts, within its pages.
Among the frequent themes that resonated with his readers were Providence College basketball, the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, the Independent Man, and even out-of-state license plates discovered on Rhode Island beaches.
In addition to his column, Reynolds established himself as an author, contributing to the literary world with several famous works. “Hope: A School, A Team, A Dream,” “Fall River Dreams,” “Basketball Junkie,” and “Born to Coach” (co-written with Rick Pitino) are among his best-known songs.
After his illustrious stint, Reynolds gradually decreased his involvement with The Journal before finally ending full-time work in the summer of 2019.
He began working for the publication in 1981 as a correspondent in the Newport office. A few years later, he changed departments and joined the Sports division, which proved out to be the perfect fit for his skills and passions.