Around half of Georgia’s current residents were born somewhere else, which makes it interesting to meet someone like Bob Reynolds. His birth marked a new era in Newton County healthcare, and his life is a story of the delight that can be found in staying home.
Bob Reynolds holds a unique honor. He was the first baby born at Newton General Hospital, now known as Piedmont Newton. He laughs when he says his arrival was his parents’ “15 minutes of fame,” evidenced by the picture on the front page of the local newspaper of Reynolds’ mother, Nena, holding her newborn son.
Indeed, the first baby was big news when the hospital opened in October 1954 with 36 beds, 22 staff members and nine physicians. Reynolds was delivered on Oct. 23, 1954 by Dr. Goodwin Tuck, one of the hospital’s founding physicians—a jovial man known for whistling through the hallways as he made rounds to see his patients. “Doc Tuck told my mama and daddy, ‘You know the hospital is giving y’all this because he’s the first one, but y’all are paying me,’” said Reynolds, now 70.
Before Newton General opened, many local residents, including Reynolds’ mother and his older brother, were born at Porterdale Maternity Hospital. The building that housed it still stands at 2 Poplar Street, a four-room mill house built by Bibb Manufacturing Company to give workers’ families an option other than home births. Newton’s new hospital must have seemed enormous in comparison, and the original institution now seems tiny next to the current Piedmont Newton complex, where Reynolds and his wife, Eve, welcomed their first great-grandchildren in 2024: Hallie Reynolds Reagin and, six months later, Leyton Scarlett Betts.
“We are grateful for the trust this family has placed in us for 70 years to provide high-quality maternity care,” said Beth Murdock, chief nursing officer of Piedmont Newton. “Access to this level of care close to home makes stories like theirs possible. When our doctors and nurses make a positive difference for one mom, their impact can truly last for generations.”
“There was never a reason to move anywhere else.”
Eve Reynolds
Reynolds speaks fondly of what it was like growing up in Newton County during the 1960s and 1970s. “As far as I can say, those were the best years to be here. We lived in the Covington Mill village, and we kids could run through the neighborhood,” he said. “We didn’t have any problems back then. We played outside until the street lights came on and our mamas called us to come in.” Eve then chimed in: “Everybody knew Bob. He was a right popular kid.”
Reynolds’ father, George Wylie “Sockeye” Reynolds, worked at the Covington Mill before moving on to positions with RC Cola and A&P. Sadly, Sockeye drowned when Bob was just 5 years old. “My grandmother lived with us,” Reynolds said, “which kind of eased the pain—having her and my mother there for us.” Reynolds was the middle child of three siblings: older brother Wylie Jr. and younger sister Robbie Jo. He attended Ficquett Elementary School from first through eighth grade, then went to Newton High. He met Eve there. “She had another boyfriend at the time,” Reynolds said. “I was standing in the hall talking with my friends, and she came walking up. I said, ‘Your hair sure does look good. You got it cut.’ And after that, we just stuck together.” They have been married for 53 years and have three children: a daughter, Shelly, and two sons, Bobby Jr. and Charles. They also have eight grandchildren.
As a young man, Reynolds started a paint contracting business: Bob Reynolds Painting and Pressure Washing. Although he has cut back on his hours, Reynolds loves what he does and continues working as much as possible. Eve admitted her husband has had an interesting career. “He is one person you can truly say has enjoyed his work,” she said. “He has always loved doing what he does, so he’s still doing it.” Reynolds painted many houses along Floyd and Conyers streets and worked for the Georgia Building Authority for 17 years, during which time he painted the state capitol. In his free time, Reynolds also devoted over 20 years to coaching little league baseball for Newton County Parks and Recreation.
Eve has a simple explanation for why she and her husband never moved away from the Covington area. “Our whole family, all of them, are right here,” Eve said. “Bob’s business was established. He had regular customers and plenty of work to do. There was never a reason to move anywhere else.” Despite their lifelong connection to Georgia, Bob and Eve have been avid travelers, visiting destinations throughout the United States, including Hawaii, Las Vegas, Miami, New York, Washington, New Orleans and Branson, Missouri. While they enjoy being on the go, they are always eager to see Newton County—and the beautiful landscape that holds everything their hearts hold dear—on the horizon again.
Click here to read more stories by Kari Apted.
Related Stories
Fallen Giant
Living History
