Anthony Keith Sneed

Beloved husband, father, brother, best friend, musician, and resident jokester, Tony Sneed, was called home to be with the Lord after suffering an unexpected heart attack at his home in Memphis, TN on July 14, 2016 at the age of 62.

Tony is survived by his wife, Karen Sneed; son, Blaze Sneed; step children, Allison Carson (Blake) and Andrew Yarbrough; siblings, Dennis Lee; Sandra Jubinville (Rick), and Tammy Moore; nieces and nephews, Jen Milburn (Chris), Mike Jubinville (Adrianne), Matthew and Rachel Lee, Coleman Mantlo, Jessica Liberton; great nieces and nephews, Layla and Parker Milburn, Brady Jubinville, Madison Wright, and Chase Hall; and extended family: parents-in law, Sylvia and Paul Sherman; brother in-law, David Sherman (Beth), and 7 nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his mother, Faye Gillespie and grandmother, Opal Walden.

Tony was born on August 17, 1953 in Memphis, TN. He was a dedicated servant to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After graduating from Nicholas Blackwell (Bartlett High School) in 1971, where he was an all-star athlete in baseball and basketball, Tony attended Harding University and went on to graduate from The Memphis Police Academy where he loyally served alongside his brothers and sisters in blue for the Memphis Police Department. After an injury ended his policing career, he began working in security and founded his own business, A.S.K. Barnes Security & Investigations. While he was active in sports, law enforcement, and his business, his greatest passion was his music; which was a thread woven in to fabric of his soul. Tony played in many bands, but was most known for his roles at bassist and vocalist for The River Bluff Clan, a three time winner of the Grammy's Premier Player Award for “Band of the Year.”

Tony was married to his loving wife, Karen (Sherman) in 2009, but they originally dated in their younger years when they worked together at Libertyland. Karen and Tony were quite the pair; she helped him with the administrative side of his business and he worked the guard service shift protecting her office building every day. They enjoyed vacations in Gatlinburg, working in their yard, and loving on their dog, Roxi. Karen loved to see him on stage and you could see the light in her eyes when he sang “Second Chance,” a song he wrote for her after they reunited in 2001.

Tony's son, Blaze, was the light of his life. Since the day he was born, Blaze (affectionately known as “Little Tony”), has been Tony's very best friend and source of motivation. Tony set about teaching Blaze all he knew about life: loving and serving God, music, sports, protecting others, and of course, a sense of humor. Recently, Blaze joined Tony in the business as a guard at A.S.K. Barnes Security & Investigations and he was a regular at Tony's gigs. To know Blaze, is to know Tony, as they were cut from the same cloth.

Whether you just met him or have known him for years, you could expect a great, big hug and an “I love you” from Tony. His jokes were corny, his laugh – contagious, his heart – generous, and his spirit - infectious. He saw each person as a brother or sister in Christ, regardless of race, religion, or creed. And although he was called much too soon, his life was full.

On Tuesday, July 19, there will be a visitation from 4-6 PM and a celebration of life at 6 PM at St. John's United Methodist Church, 1207 Peabody Avenue in Midtown, Memphis. Reverend John Kilzer will officiate the ceremony and all are welcome to attend. Arrangements will be handled by Memphis Funeral Home, 3700 N Germantown Road, Bartlett, TN 38133 and condolences can be sent to www.memphisfuneralhome.net.

The family requests for photos and video to be sent to karensneed@mypixstar.com to be included in a slideshow.