Dallas Cowboys - 100
New Orleans Saints - 0
Almost everyone who knew Anthony knew him to be an avid Dallas Cowboys fan. He was just as loyal to his children's
teams sports. For example, his stepdaughter Holly Howard (Southaven, MS) bought him an Ole Miss jersey that he would
wear every time he visited her. Several years later; when his son, Anthony Clifton Reeves (Jackson, MS) attended Ole Miss,
Anthony would wear that same jersey to see his son play Tuba with The Pride of The South.
I, however, knew Anthony best for his love of music. He always would have music playing in his car, in his ears, on his
phone, and around the house. His love of music probably began as a child at St. Matthew COGIC where he confessed
Christ. He also sang in the Yazoo City High School choir (Class of 1985). He would often brag to me about his numerous
accomplishments and awards in that choir. I couldn't help but smile especially when I discovered that he earned a choir
scholarship to Tougaloo College. Although I would often sing with him, he was a real star. At our wedding, he brought
tears to many eyes when he serenaded me as I walk down the aisle. He has passed his love of music to his Dove-Award
winning son, William Josiah Howard-Reeves (Jackson, MS).
Perhaps his grandparents, Alton and Earline Reeves (both deceased) should be credited with his love of music since they
faithfully took him to St. Matthew where he sang and led songs in the choir. After we married, we joined New Vision Fellowship
Church of Brandon, MS. Someone at NVF discovered that Anthony could sing and that person told the pastors
(Juan and Robin Jones). Anthony told the pastors I could sing too! So we would sing a duet during worship about once
a month. Although Anthony loved singing, he did not make music his main career. One of his goals was to own his own
convenience store or grocery store. To accomplish this, he earned his business degree from Belhaven College in 2009. He
would later work as manager at several gas stations while working part-time at Kroger. Eventually he became a grocery
manager/Night stocker at Kroger where he worked until he died. His father, Willie Joe Mitchell (Fort Worth, TX) would
often boast of Anthony's accomplishments and could often be heard saying, "I'm so proud of my boy!" Although his
mother, Lynell James is deceased, I'm sure she would have been as equally proud.
Anthony, like me, was the oldest child, unlike me, he had two sisters, Carla Pearson and April D. Mitchell (both of Arlington,
TX). I have no sisters. I have five brothers. Anthony's brothers, Tony James (Angelia of Monroe, North Carolina),
Stacy James (Atlanta, GA), and Joseph Detrick (Arlington, TX) all looked up to him. As a youth, Anthony was a big guy
and his brothers would often try to tackle him but were never successful. Believe it or not, my brothers would try to tackle
him also and they too were not successful.
If you would talk to Anthony's numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, and friends, I'm sure they would tell you how
much he was loved. I sure have many memories that I would cherish for a lifetime. One of my fondest memory is that he
insisted that I would affectionately call him "Lum-Lum." I could never do this because I would always burst into giggles