James Chester Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds' father, James Chester Reynolds, died at 74, the star revealed to his fans on Twitter. James C. Reynolds was born in Canada in 1941. He was a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman before retiring from the force and going to work as a foods wholesaler. James, who suffered from Parkinson's Disease, died on Oct. 25, 2015 in a hospital in British Columbia , Canada, according to his obituary. "Despite health challenges that could have slowed him down, Jim was a strong and passionate man who lived life to the fullest. His spirit, stories and memories live on in his sons and grandkids," the obituary read. It also called for donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Actor Ryan Reynolds opened up about his father's Parkinson's in an essay for the Huffington Post in 2008 called "Why I'm Running the New York City Marathon." "I've had a first hand peek behind the curtain of Parkinson's," he wrote. "I've watched my father -- a strong and proud person who successfully raised 4 arguably insane children -- slowly, cruelly stripped of his independence. His golden years robbed without explanation. It quite obviously sucks. Witnessing my Dad suffer over the years galvanized my need to step up. ... It's my hope the story of my father combined with my own goal of becoming the first person in history to sob uncontrollably for 26.2 miles straight, may inspire you to give something too."