Dianne H. (Cooler) Reynolds

Dianne H. Cooler Reynolds, 79, passed away December 2, 2022, at the Coastal Carolina Hospital in Hardeeville, SC.

Surviving are her sons, Marshall Reynolds, of Gainesville, GA, and Michael Reynolds (Liz) of Jacksonville, FL; grandson Joseph Reynolds (Lindsay) of Cape Coral, FL; granddaughter Shannun Hughes (Taylor), great-grandson Jace Hughes, and great-granddaughter Annabelle Haile, all of Port Wentworth, GA; her sister Pam Padgett (Greg), and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband Cecil Reynolds, granddaughter Jessica Reynolds, and sisters Gail Hubbard and Jeanne Raven.

Dianne was the daughter of the late Willis Cooler and the late Myrtis Gibbons.  She graduated from Hardeeville High School where she played on the basketball team and was active in numerous clubs and other activities.  Dianne and Cecil were married for 49 years until his death in 2010.

Her greatest joy came from being a wife and mother, and her sons remember many happy hours at Alljoy Beach under her watchful eye.  Once her sons started school, Dianne turned her attention to community involvement and volunteerism.  In 1971, she organized the first Bluffton Christmas parade, for which she was recognized as the grand marshal of the 50 ^th parade in 2021.  Also in 1971, Dianne was the brainchild and founder of Bluffton’s little league football team, the Bluffton Crusaders (now the Bluffton Bulldogs).  And she was well known as a diehard Cincinnati Reds fan!

Dianne displayed an early talent for music and began taking piano lessons at age six, even though she could play “by ear.”  Favorite recording artists included Barry Manilow and Elton John, as well as others she listened to on local radio deejay Monty Jett’s show. She enjoyed all kinds of music, from pop to classical, but playing church music was her calling.  “When God gives you a talent, you need to use it,” Dianne was quoted in a 1999 Island Packet feature about her quarter of a century playing the piano and organ at First Baptist Church in Bluffton.

For 30 years Dianne and Cecil were familiar faces at Bluffton’s polling places during elections.  She also wrote a column for local newspapers and sometimes supplied photos for news stories.  Dianne served on the May River Academy Board of Directors, the Palmetto Electric Trust Board of Directors, and was active in four area Republican clubs and the League of Women Voters.  She was a charter member of and had a 14-year perfect attendance record at the Bluffton Rotary Club and became a Paul Harris Fellow.

Dianne had a can-do attitude and was always willing to tackle projects for the benefit of her family, friends, and community.  She volunteered for Meals on Wheels, trash and litter control with the Adopt-a-Highway program, the Red Cross, and the Bluffton Rescue Squad.  In later years, Dianne regularly played the piano for residents of Hilton Head Healthcare in addition to volunteering at Hospice Care of the Lowcountry.  Dianne was recognized in 2008 by the South Carolina Senate as the Senior Citizen of the Day for her many decades of giving back to her community.

The family will receive friends on Friday, December 9, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., and Dianne’s funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 10, both at Sauls Funeral Home, 90 Simmonsville Road, Bluffton.  Burial will follow at Bluffton Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Bluffton Self Help at PO Box 2420, Bluffton, SC  29910.

Bluffton Self Help
PO Box 2420, Bluffton SC 29910
Web: http://www.blufftonselfhelp.org/donate