Goodbye Mr. Yellow Jacket

The Greer community lost a good one early Tuesday morning when Tony Tipton, Jr died at the tender age of 54. Tony was a Christian man that had professed his faith & trust in Jesus Christ, so we know where he is. One can only imagine Tony’s mansion in heaven will certainly sit on a black and gold street. Many people know that he was currently sitting as the Greer High Booster Club President, but most will never know all he did behind the scenes to help make Greer High and it’s student athletes the best it could be.

From the Jacket Nest, to painting the field, to honoring different folks on Friday nights, the giant team posters, his keeping up the Booster Club membership & social media, running the concession stand at basketball games, helping ALL Greer coaches (this golf coach included) get their necessary funds & equipment to compete- the list just goes on & on.

All of that will be sorely missed. And the things he did will likely not all be done by one person. It’s going to take a chunk of the Greer High family to step up- in his honor. But the thing that will be missed the most is Tony’s 100% non-wavering support of all things Yellow Jacket. If we had a great season he was proud. If a season fell short he was hopeful. He was never negative about a player, coach, or a performance. He was Mr. Yellow Jacket.

He built relationships with all of us. He wasn’t just a good worker...Tony was a good friend. And he would nurture those friendships with phone calls, handshakes, and hugs. John 3:30 says “He must become greater, I must become less.” This verse could be a life verse for Tony Tipton, because he always made you feel like what was important to you was more important than anything he had going on. Even when his health was in a declining status he would ask “what can we do for you?”

I remember in 2002 when the Greer Girls Cross Country Team win the AAA State Championship they were going to be given a nice shirt and pizza party to celebrate. “Oh no, Rob” Tony said. “That won’t do. They deserve better”. Within minutes, a reservation was made at The Open Hearth and nice sweatshirts were ordered for a fitting celebration.

In looking at so many photos of Tony at games, and Tony with various people including a terrific one with Gee, I chose the one with Jackson to post with this message. Because even with all the wonderful support and friendships he’s blessed us with, he loved nothing more than his son Jackson & daughter Maddie. As much as he loved Greer, a sparkle - a twinkle - showed in his eye and a distinct pitch change in his voice came when talking about Jackson & Maddie. He was a great dad and always - always put them first.

It’s hard to believe he’s gone, but let’s all remember he’s gone to a better place. And if it’s possible for him to help a ball sitting on the rim to fall through the net or a field goal fade back just through the upright, I’m sure Tony will be lobbying to make that happen. After all, he’s Mr. Yellow Jacket.

Rob Gravley

Greer