Reinaldo Luis Reyes

Reinaldo Luis Reyes passed away on December 21st, 2023, while family prayed nearby. He was preceded in death by his parents, Reinaldo and Gilda Reyes and is survived by his wife of 40 years, Glenda Reyes, as well as several aunts and uncles and many cousins.

Rey was born in Havana, Cuba and spent the first few years of his life in this idyllic paradise. In the early 1960's, the family left Cuba due to the communist regime that had taken over the island.

He was four years old when he traveled to the United States with his grandmother and aunt, as his parents were not allowed to leave at the same time. It was a sad time for everyone to be separated from their loved ones and their country.

After several months, he was reunited with his parents in the United States. They relocated to Atlanta in September 1962, where they were sponsored by Oakland City Baptist Church. The church members helped the family assimilate to their new life.

Later, his parents helped establish a Spanish Mission that later become the First Spanish Baptist Church of Atlanta where he was a member for many years. He and his wife, Glenda, were married there in 1983.

Rey graduated from DeKalb Community College where he earned a degree in Biomedical Electronic Engineering which served him well in his career, working at Emory, DeKalb Medical and Children's Healthcare before retiring in 2018.

As a young man, his hobbies included baseball, model railroading and bodybuilding. He competed and won the title of Collegiate Mr. Georgia in 1979.

In his 20's, Rey added woodworking to the list and continued weightlifting his entire life. He was a man of many talents. Rey was a natural artist and engineer and could build or fix just about anything. He could play instruments, grow a garden, repair a car, finish a basement, build furniture and so much more, often working tirelessly from morning til night.

Rey's daily goal was to make life better when he laid his head on his pillow than it was when he woke up that morning.

At his request, there will be no public service, only a small private family gathering to celebrate and remember him.

The family requests no flowers and if you feel inclined, please make a donation to the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association or your favorite charity.