Jean Avery Reynolds

Long-time Pebble Beach resident Jean Avery Reynolds passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on Thursday April 2, 2026. Jean was born on May 23,1934 just outside the small North Carolina town of Morganton. From a young age, little Jeannie developed a hunger to get out into the world. So, at 17 years of age, she made the first move of her life to Washington D.C. Here she quickly secured a job with the FBI, and had fond memories of interactions with J. Edgar Hoover.

As was so common at this time in America (mid 1950s post-WWII), she met and fell in love with a man in uniform, Navy sailor Bon Reynolds Jr. while on the boardwalk at Atlantic City NJ. Soon the couple married, with both Jean and Bon being 19 years of age at this time. The next big celebration was the birth of their firstborn, Linda, in 1955. Next came a big move to California.

Following Bon’s career relocations, the couple moved around California, with stints in Bakersfield, Hanford, and San Jose. Two more children followed, Scott (1958) and Amber (1966) and in 1972, the family moved to Pebble Beach. Although she had found her permanent home, the marriage ended in 1980, and Jean began the next chapter of her life. Although tough at first, she worked hard at providing a life for herself and her three children.

Jean worked for Thorngate Medical Group on Cass Street in Monterey for almost 20 years as an administrator. When Thorngate closed down, she went to work for the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP), working in Information Services for nearly 17 years, while simultaneously working part-time at a prominent Cannery Row gift shop, The Sand Dollar. She worked there for over 25 years! Work was a big component of Jean’s life. and she always enjoyed interacting and talking with a wide range of people, including fellow employees and tourists. Over the years, she acquired quite a taste for world travel.

At one point in the 1990s, Jean and her long-time best friend, the late Alida Tyler, were “hitting the road” seeking adventure three to four times a year. Starting in the 2000’s, Jean included her youngest daughter, Amber, to the traveling group and the trio enjoyed a number of adventures, among them two long European vacations, visiting most of the noteworthy European destinations.

In her later years, Jean was a ravenous reader and thoroughly enjoyed daily walks down to the beach from her house. The Monterey Peninsula was her home….she loved Pebble Beach and never moved again!

Jean was preceded in death by her oldest daughter Linda Kay Reynolds Carey. She is survived by her son Scott Reynolds of Pebble Beach, her youngest daughter Amber Reynolds Fehling of San Diego, and her three grandchildren, Shana Carey of San Marcos, Sara Carey of Long Beach, and Grayson Fehling of San Diego.

Jean had chosen to be buried in the Avery family graveyard in Morganton, North Carolina. She would have appreciated any donations on her behalf to go to the Red Cross or to one of the many CHOMP volunteer organizations.