Dr. Estella Mary (Henry) Reynolds

It is with heavy hearts and profound sadness that the family of Estella Mary Henry Reynolds, Ph.D. announces her passing on Sunday, May 31, 2026, in Norfolk, Virginia. At the age of 89, Dr. Reynolds, surrounded by her loving family, peacefully passed away at her home.

Born on December 27, 1936, in Acree, Georgia, Dr. Estella Reynolds possessed an insatiable curiosity and a lifelong passion for knowledge. Her drive for academic excellence and her enormous compassion for others led to a distinguished academic and professional career in nursing that spanned forty-four years.

Estella earned a Bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama, and a Master’s degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Reynolds later earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Services – Urban Education from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. She successfully defended her dissertation, “The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Collegial Support to Retention of Nurse Educators in Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Nursing Programs in Virginia.”

Dr. Reynolds was known for her high level of integrity as an educator, researcher, and registered nurse. She trained her nursing students with a strict commitment to accuracy. Dr. Reynolds worked as a Staff Nurse and Clinical Instructor at Grady Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia. After completing her master’s degree in nursing, Estella returned to her hometown to teach at Monroe Vocational School in Albany, Georgia. Later, she became a Clinical Instructor and Medical-Surgical Nursing Curriculum Director at St. Joseph’s Infirmary School of Nursing in Atlanta, Georgia. When St. Joseph’s closed, Estella became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nursing and the School of Urban Life at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

In 1975, Estella and her family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where she became a tenured Associate Professor at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. She went on to become a distinguished nursing professor during her thirty-year career at Hampton University, training her students in several hospitals throughout the Hampton Roads area. Always wanting to broaden her students’ knowledge of nursing career opportunities, Professor Estella Reynolds volunteered to train with the U.S. Army. In July 1995, she was awarded a Certificate of Achievement by the United States Army for completing training at Fort Bragg ROTC Advanced Camp.

Dr. Reynolds tirelessly mentored hundreds of nursing school graduates, many of whom now serve throughout the United States. In addition to her outstanding contributions to education, Estella was appointed and commissioned to the Virginia Health Planning Board by then–Governor L. Douglas Wilder. She was a Charter Member of Sigma Theta Tau, Delta Iota Chapter, of the National Honor Society of Nursing. Estella was also acknowledged for her contributions to the study of nurse practitioner practice and legislative efforts with the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners in 1991. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Hope House Foundation.

Outside of academia, Stell, as she was affectionately called, enjoyed a rich and joyful personal life. She was cherished as a dedicated mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Many of her former nursing students stayed in touch with her throughout her life. She was appreciated for her high energy, infectious enthusiasm, compassionate nature, and warm sense of humor.

Beyond her nursing career, she loved international travel and was a dedicated member and proud participant in several community and service organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; The Moles, Incorporated (Norfolk Chapter); The Girl Friends, Incorporated (Norfolk Chapter); and Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated (Norfolk Chapter).

A strong believer and follower of Christ, Dr. Reynolds attended Bank Street Memorial Baptist Church in Norfolk, Virginia. She was a beloved member for fifty-one years and served faithfully on the Usher Board.

Estella, sweetly called “Nana” by all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by her two sons, Eric Charles Reynolds (Eleanor) and Gregory Preston Reynolds; four grandchildren, Eric Charles Reynolds Jr. (Mary), Melissa Reynolds Wilson (Craig), Elissa Noelle Reynolds Powe (Shane), and Evan Charles Reynolds (Tiffany); seven great-grandchildren; sister-in-law Ida Henry; two brothers, Ralph Henry (Shirley) and Robert Henry; and a host of loving extended family, friends, colleagues, and former students.

She was preceded in death by her former husband of forty-nine years, Charles McKinley Reynolds Jr.; her father, John Marion Henry Sr.; her mother, Wessie M. Hawkins Henry; and her brothers, Pelham Patrick Henry (Juliette) and John Marion Henry Jr.

A Celebration of Life for Dr. Estella Mary Henry Reynolds will be announced and held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial donations be made to The Dr. Estella Reynolds Endowed Scholarship, School of Nursing at Hampton University, in Hampton, Virginia.

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