Stanley George Reynolds, the founder of the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin and a life-long resident of the central Alberta city, died on Thursday at the age of 88.

Reynolds, a collector and businessman, opened his own private museum in 1955 to allow the public to see his collection of vehicles, airplanes, agricultural machinery and other devices.

Stan Reynolds died Thursday at the age of 88. (Reynolds-Alberta Museum)

In 1974, he approached the province with an offer to turn over his artifacts for a new museum in Wetaskiwin. The Reynolds-Alberta Museum is owned and operated by the Government of Alberta to this day.

John Denham knew Reynolds for 50 years. The two men became friends when they both owned car dealerships in Wetaskiwin.

"His passion was collecting things," Denham recalled on Monday. "There'll be no man alive that will ever do what he did, I can tell you that."

A former Second World War pilot, Reynolds owned his own plane and regularly took flights to scour the landscape for new finds, Denham said.

"He could tell from the air whether you had an old, old tractor, an old, old combine and he'd land right in your field and go in and talk to you about it," he said. "He'd buy it and send the truck to get it."

Reynolds was recognized with the Order of Canada and the Alberta Order of Excellence. He was named to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame in 2009.

Premier Alison Redford released a statement on Monday, offering her condolences to Reynolds' family.

"Stan Reynolds was a true Alberta original, a business man, aviator, collector and philanthropist. His lifelong interest in machines of all types led him to assemble a very valuable collection which he generously donated to the people of Alberta," she said.

"Stan was a great partner with the province in establishing a wonderful legacy, the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, in his home town of Wetaskiwin. His vision, irrepressible spirit and example of public service will be sorely missed."