MACHIAS – For 25 years Frederic A. Reynolds put his name in for the state’s moose hunt lottery, hoping to land a permit. This fall, for the first time, he did.

He was planning to take his son and grandson hunting on Monday within Washington County.

But Reynolds, a lifelong resident of Machias and the former president of the University of Maine at Machias, died Monday after a heart attack.

He had served as UMM’s fifth president, between 1981 and 1992. Even in his retirement, he kept an eye on the campus.

“He always had a regular and welcomed presence here,” said Cynthia Huggins, UMM’s president since June. “When he visited he would stop by the physical plant, the athletics office, the president’s office.”

When Reynolds and Huggins crossed paths in town, “He always asked how things were going, and offered little pieces of advice.”

Reynolds, 78, was remembered Tuesday for having guided UMM in its growth from a state teachers college to a multipurpose institution offering a variety of degree programs.

UMM marked its 75th anniversary during Reynolds’ presidency. During that time, he guided a major renovation of Kimball Hall, as well as the conversion of the Powers Hall gymnasium into the UMM Performing Arts Center. That itself was a significant step for the cultural life of both the campus and Washington County.

Reynolds spent a total of 38 years at UMM.

He began his service to the campus in 1954 as a supervising teacher at Washington State Teachers College, the previous name for the campus.

His career evolved over the years with teaching and administrative positions in coaching; as a tenured professor specializing in Maine and Russian history; as dean, and later as vice president of student affairs.

Then came positions as acting vice president for academic affairs and acting president. He took on the permanent position of president of the Machias campus between 1983 and 1992.

Within the community, Reynolds was a long-serving member of the board of directors of the Machias Savings Bank. He was its current chairman, a position he held for more than 20 years.

“When we lost him, we lost a lot,” Edward Hennessey, president of the Machias Savings Bank said Tuesday.

“I don’t know anybody else who had a handle on local history any more than Fred. He could tell you who owned your house before you did and all about that family.”

Reynolds spent most of his adult life living on Court Street, aside from the 10 years when he lived on campus in the president’s residence.

It wasn’t unusual during the years when the family lived next door to the old town hall, his son Donald recalled on Tuesday, that the Reynolds home frequently “had a house full of students.”

“Back then, the campus was a lot smaller and more like a family,” he said.

Since leaving the president’s house on campus, Reynolds lived with Norma, his wife of 52 years, across from the Washington County Courthouse.

“He spent his days just keeping an eye on local happenings,” Donald said. “He would ride the roads looking for game, and we always had the summer camp at Bog Lake.

“He loved spending time with his grandchildren [the youngest are 14, 12 and 12]. He’d keep them company around the house or take them hunting. He had already gone bird hunting this fall.”

Aside from one semester as principal of the junior high school in Limestone, Reynolds spent his entire life in Machias. He was a 1949 graduate of the Washington State Normal School and received his bachelor’s degree from Washington State Teachers College in 1953.

Reynolds’ service to the university and the community continued after his retirement from the presidency in 1992. He was a member of the University of Maine System board of trustees.

A funeral service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in the Frederic A. Reynolds Athletic and Education Center at UMM. The campus gymnasium was named for him at the time of his retirement.

Those wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to the University of Maine at Machias Frederic A. Reynolds Scholarship Fund. Contact UMM’s Tom Potter at 255-1221 for more information on making a contribution.