Roy "SMOKE" Reynolds
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Born in Carleton Place and raised in Smith’s Falls, Smoke attended Queen’s University, Kingston, in the early 1920s. A natural athlete, he played intermediate and senior hockey for the Golden Gaels and was a member of the Grey Cup winning football teams in 1922, ‘23 and ’24.
While at university he received offers to play for the Hamilton Tiger Cats and the Boston Bruins, but chose to finish his degrees in electrical engineering (1924) and mechanical engineering (1925) and went on to practice his profession. He worked for the Ontario Hydro for five years and then was manager of the Chatham Hydro Electric System for 40 years.
Along with his day job he played amateur hockey wherever he was working - Port Arthur, Orillia, Dorchester, ending his playing career with Chatham Maroons in 1933 (with a one game return in 1936). A big man, Smoke played defense but was quick on his feet, scored his share of goals and acquired a nick-name which stuck for his life time. When a bad knee ended his hockey career, he refereed for a few years and worked with the OHA executive body for many years. He was very proud of the Gold Stick he was awarded for his contributions in this area.
Mr. Reynolds lived in Chatham for 54 years and his contributions to his community were many. When he first played hockey in Chatham, there was no artificial ice surface. In 1928 he joined with others to open the William Street Rink, now the Chatham Granite Club. Hockey was played there until the building was declared unsafe in 1939. For 10 years there was no indoor ice surface, and for those 10 years a group worked to plan for one. World War II held things up a bit, but in 1949, with Smokey as building chairman, the Chatham Memorial Arena was declared open, and home to another Senior A Maroons Hockey Team.
Smoke was also a golfer, tennis payer, softball player and curler and often founded or chaired the associations connected with these sports. In addition to his Hydro and sporting activities, he left a legacy of community service. Many years were spent working with the Rotary Club, Christ Church Chatham, Masonic lodges, the city Planning Board and for 35 years, as chairman of the Building and Property Committee of the Public General Hospital. He often commented that he received more from these groups than he gave. His activities did not go unnoticed. Among his awards were an honorary membership in the Chatham Chamber of Commerce, a Paul Harris Fellowship from the Rotary Club, the Canadian Centennial Medal 1967 and the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, 1977. In 1986 Smoke was inducted as a member of the Chatham Sports Hall of Fame as “Old Timer and Builder”. Named for him are a Conference Room at P.G.H., a Chatham-Kent Service Centre and a north side neighborhood park.
Smoke married Dorothy Birch in 1929 and furthered his legacy with a daughter, 3 sons and 9 grandchildren.