His first years of school were at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church and at Jackson Road elementary. He continued at White Oak middle school, DeMatha Catholic high school, and graduated from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, MD in 1996. He also attended Montgomery College and Lincoln Technical Institute.
Anthony began his faith journey at St. Catherine Laboure Catholic Church in Wheaton, MD, where he was baptized and received his First Holy Communion. But his church home was St. Augustine Catholic Church, the Mother Church of African American Catholics in the Nation’s Capital, where he received the Sacrament of Confirmation, he was an altar server and where he sang as an active member of the Young Adult Choir for many years.
His interest in sports began to develop very early. He started playing football for the St. John the Baptist Catholic Community in Silver Spring, MD, around 8 years of age. He was known to willingly don a large plastic lawn-and-leaf bag for a week at a time in which to do his exercises while only consuming salad and water in an effort to “make the team” weight requirements. He always made the team!! Anthony added a year of basketball to his athletic resume and even soccer for a summer season. Like most young players with a love and a talent for football, he dreamed of playing in the National Football League (NFL) while continuing to play first-string JV and varsity teams throughout his high school years. The NFL never called. He was disappointed but he had fun trying.
More than sports, Anthony loved his work as a professional chauffeur. He had a smile that would light up a room and a contagious laugh and charm that went with it. He was good at it, and he was in his element as a social, charismatic, and attentive personal driver who took great pride in his professional demeanor, his courteousness to his passengers, and familiarity with and knowledge of his clients’ destinations locally or out of state. He prided himself on the cleanliness and shine of the limousines, party buses and private cars required to accommodate his clientele and their party. Some of those clients included some popular music artists, Congressional Black Caucus members, and NFL athletes and their guests going around the Washington metropolitan area, or to and from New York, Virginia wine country, the Carolinas, southern Florida, and even some mid-western states, too. It always excited him to be challenged by a new destination while satisfying his clients’ transportation needs, and many of those customers had him on speed dial to request him as their driver-of-choice on repeat trips.
On August 14, 2004, he married Rachael Marie Payne and was delighted to take the role of “daddy” to her two-year-old daughter, Jaden, whose father had passed away. Together, they also had two sons, Justin and Jared. Tony doted on all his children. He seemed to enjoy every moment with each of them and missed them so very much when travel would separate them. And oh, the joy when he returned home!! Jaden, Justin, Jared, your dad loved you more than you know.
And so, Anthony’s memories are left to be by cherished his wife, Rachael of Silver Spring, MD; his daughter, Jaden (Jonny), and his grandchildren, Aubree and Stella; his sons, Justin and Jared; his parents, Marshall and Alice Clair; and a host of associates, acquaintances, and special friends.
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