Aution Gene Reed Sr. was born on January 6, 1943, to parents Ollie B. Reed and Georgia “Annie” Reed in Schaal, Arkansas. He was the second son of seven children.
Aution, better known as “Tunk,” was baptized at an early age at Tabernacle CME Church in Arkansas. He was educated at Howard County Training School in Tollette, AR. After school, he worked at Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co. in Dierks, AR.
In 1963, Aution united in marriage to his school friend, Velverly Savage. From the union four children were born. Soon after in 1965 during the Great Migration, Tunk in search of better opportunities, moved to Detroit, Michigan where he lived and worked for General Motors for forty-three years.
Tunk loved to play spades, card games, watch sports on TV, and sit on the front porch with his dog named Paris. He also loved family gatherings, especially his son’s barbecue and fish fry’s.
Aution was preceded in death by his son, Anthony Reed Sr.; parents, Ollie B. Reed and Georgia “Annie” Reed; and two siblings, James “JD” Reed and George “Bobo” Reed.
Aution Gene Reed Sr. leaves to cherish his loving memory: Velverly; son, Aution (Cindy) Reed Jr.; daughters, Sharon Reed and Tonya Reed of Detroit, MI, and Victoria Reed of Pontiac, MI; three grandchildren, Anthony Reed Jr. and Parrish D. Reed of Detroit, MI, and Ariah Reed of Pontiac, MI; one great grandchild, Jacari C. Reed of Detroit, MI; siblings, Charlie (Curtis) Young, Nora (Grady) Shadrick of Stockton, CA, Bennie (Eartha) Reed, Linda (Larry) Trotter of Schaal, AR; father-in-law, Lee Pauley of Graves Chapel, AR; daughter-in-law, Linda Reed of Detroit, MI; sisters-in-law, Margaret Reed of Southfield, MI and Norma J. Reed of Pontiac, MI, Tomachere Pauley, Natasha Cook and Martha (William) Pauley all of Longview, TX, Rev. Sarah Green of Camden, AR; brothers-in-law, Darren (Ray) Pauley and Kevin (Lisa) Pauley of Longview, TX, James Savage of Detroit, MI, and Dotson Savage Jr. of Grady, AR; special friends, JR Davis and Clevell Jones of Schaal, AR; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
*Homegoing services will be Saturday, January 11, 2020 at 2:00 pm. @ Tabernacle Christian Methodist Episcopal Church | 1670 Schaal Road, Mineral Springs, AR 71851 | Interment – Tollette Cemetery | Schaal, AR