Xavier David Reynolds

Xavier Reynolds (39) went home to the Lord, after a tragic and sudden death on Monday, May 11, 2026. 

Born on January 28,1987, Xavier was kind, gentle and respectful to those he met and was a loyal friend. Xavier is survived by his father, Saye Yeaney of Columbus, Ohio, half-brother Ganpeh Yeaney (Columbus), half-sister Yeegan Yeaney (Grove City), and beloved uncle, Thomas Reynolds in Buena Park, California. 

Despite many obstacles in his life, particularly the loss of his loving mother and greatest advocate, Deborah Ann Reynolds and grandmother, Mary (Spears) Tally both of Cincinnati, Xavier was diligently striving to become independent against all odds. He was an honor roll graduate of Hughes High School in Cincinnati and member of the Hughes National Honor Society. He studied Hospitality Management at Columbus State Community College and Business Administration at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. 

Xavier worked throughout Columbus primarily in retail, food service and hospitality, finding his best success in jobs where he would interact directly with customers. This included many years at the Easton location of Lowes Home Improvement, where he was awarded Employee of the Month multiple times. 

A fan of crime thrillers, especially novels by Robert Crais and John Sanford, Xavier hosted a YouTube channel under the name: Professor X Books and Movies where he produced reviews of books to a large and committed audience. He was known for using his "Traffic Light" rating system, where a “green light” rating represented books he enjoyed and recommended, while “yellow” and “red light” ratings sometimes elicited impassioned, and at times, humorous critiques. Xavier was a self-described contrarian and tough critic but enjoyed sharing his thoughts and engaging in discussions about books with his viewers. Xavier was also an amateur connoisseur of colognes and fragrances of which he also provided meticulous and enjoyable reviews.  

Xavier was a fan of the NHL, where he closely followed his 2 favorite teams: the Washington Capitals and his hometown, Columbus Blue Jackets. Recently, he was able to enjoy the last game of the Blue Jackets 2025-2026 season, where he got to excitedly watch his favorite player, Alexander Ovechkin, in what could have been the final game of his career. 

For nearly twenty years, Xavier attended Mountview Christian Church where he established many relationships as a participant of multiple small groups. He was a man of few words but deep in thought and never shied away from leading the closing prayers of gatherings. Xavier was a faithful patron of the Columbus Library and Barnes and Noble. He received tremendous support through Jewish Family Services, particularly decades of care and guidance from Tim McNish. He also built a lasting rapport with Philip Kamara and the team at North Central Mental Health Services. Xavier spoke with great fondness of his friendship and mentorship with Cincinnati radio personality, Brian Combs through the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative Program.  

Our gentle and kind friend, brother and son will be deeply missed by his family, the congregation at Mountview Christian Church, Jewish Family Services, his online audience and many throughout the Columbus and Cincinnati communities. Xavier is now free from the challenges of this world and lives forever in the presence of His Savior, Christ Jesus. 

A memorial service will take place at Mountview Christian Church, 2140 Fishinger Road, Columbus Ohio on Saturday, May 30 at 10:30a. 

Arrangements completed with JERRY SPEARS FUNERAL HOME with CREMATORY.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.