Thomas "Tom" Reynolds, 85, a lifelong educator and retired administrator at MSU-Northern, died at his home on March 16, 2026.

A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 4th at First Lutheran Church in Havre, MT.  A private family burial will take place at a later date. Holland and Bonine Funeral Home of Havre has been entrusted with services and arrangements.

Tom was born to Evelyn and Thomas Reynolds, August 14, 1940, in Grand Forks, ND. In 1956, his family moved to South Saint Paul where Tom graduated from High School. Tom was blessed with athleticism and a love of sports.  During the summer of 1958, he received an offer [before the draft days] from the New York Giants to play professional baseball.  However, Tom elected to accept a football scholarship to North Dakota State University.  He played four years of football and one year of baseball and graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education.  Upon graduation he taught history and coached at Midway High School in Inkster, ND. On June 8, 1963, at Grace Lutheran Church in Hallock, MN, Tom was united in marriage to Gail Gustafson whom he met at NDSU. This June would have marked 63 years of marriage.

He received his master's degree in 1964 from the University of ND. His assistantship at the University included the responsibility of coaching the freshman basketball team of which Phil Jackson was a member.  Tom began employment at MSU-Northern in the fall of 1964 as head basketball coach and physical education instructor. He coached football at Northern from 1965-1972 and his teams won two divisional championships (65, 66) and the Montana Collegiate Conference championship in 1965. From 1973-1984 Tom was Athletic Director and Chair of the Department of Health and Physical Education.  Tom also coached the Northern baseball team to a Frontier Conference title and spot in the Northwest Regionals in 1971. In 1976, he developed a booster club for Northern athletics. In 1979, he began devoting part of his time to the Northern Foundation and in 1984 he became the first Executive Director of the MSU-Northern Foundation.  He was especially grateful for the support he received from the various Board Presidents, Chancellors, Faculty, Staff and many dedicated volunteers from the community that gave of their time and money to provide an extra margin of excellence for Northern.

The Foundation position was not in the area of physical education or athletics, but he was an enthusiastic advocate of establishing scholarships for students.  Tom was forever grateful for the athletic scholarship he received and always felt without it the opportunity for a university degree would have been denied to him.  Therefore, he was committed to the development of scholarships for students, especially the endowed scholarships.  He strongly believed in access to higher education and allowing as many students as possible the opportunity for a university education.

In addition, to several scholarships, some of his most noteworthy fundraising accomplishments included: one of the first renovations of the Armory Gymnasium; The Burlington Northern and Buttrey Athletic Fields; the Farm Mechanics building which was built completely on non-state dollars; the classrooms of the 21st Century; providing scholarships, gear and equipment with gifted money for the reinstatement of football; Connections 2000, which assisted with raising 2 million dollars for the Applied Technology Center.

Tom was a member of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, past President of the Frontier Conference, District 12, NAIA Board member, and Northern Executive staff member. He was a member of First Lutheran Church, a past 47-year member of Messiah Lutheran Church and past President of Havre Rotary International.

In 1966, Tom was honored as the Montana Collegiate Conference (now known as the Frontier Conference) Football Coach of the year.  He was a recipient of the MSU-Northern Excellence Award in 1994 and inducted into the MSU-Northern Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996. At the conclusion of his Foundation career in 2006, at the National Conference of Crescendo in San Diego, CA, he was recognized as E-Marketer of the Year which included Foundations from across the country. In 2007, Tom received the Chancellor's Distinguished Service Award.

Tom, a native Minnesotan, was a loyal and enthusiastic Vikings and Twins fan.  Even though his sons spent little time in Minnesota, he convinced them there were no other teams to support.  Tom enjoyed the game of golf and especially playing with his sons and grandsons even though in later years their skills in the game were beyond his.  He also enjoyed following the Shelby Coyotes as his son was the varsity basketball coach and eventually his grandsons began to compete. He, along with other football enthusiasts, established a Fantasy Football League in 1980.  Not only did they enjoy competing against, but also bantering with, one another about the last game or the next game.  It is his humor, loyalty and love for his wife, family and friends that will be remembered most.

Survivors include his wife, Gail Reynolds of Havre; sons, Tom (Wendy) Reynolds of Shelby, MT, and Richard "Rick" (Amy) Reynolds of Keller, TX; grandchildren, TJ Reynolds of Havre, MT, Rhett Reynolds of Shelby, MT, and Reese, Ryan, and Jackson Reynolds of Keller, TX; brothers, Rick (Carole) Reynolds of West Saint Paul, MN, and Terry (Mesa) Reynolds of Westminster, CA; sisters, Cathy (Garland) Bryan of Hemet, CA, and Jean Ann Miller of Prior, MN; sisters-in-law, Susan Reynolds of South Saint Paul, MN, and Loralee Kriens of Fridley, MN; and several nieces and nephews.  Tom was preceded in death by brothers, Robert Reynolds and Chuck (Jackie) Reynolds; his parents, Tom and Evelyn Reynolds; his in-laws, Linden and Harriet Gustafson; and brother-in-law, Bernard Kriens.

Memorials in Tom's honor can be made to the MSU Northern Foundation - Gustafson/Reynolds/Kriens Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 1691, Havre, MT 59501 or a charity of one's choice.