Tony Tipton was Mr. Greer, an excellent father, and loyal public servant to Greer High School athletics.
Travis Perry unashamedly calls Tony Tipton Mr. Greer.
Will Young said Tipton was an excellent father and wore his love for his hometown and high school on his sleeves.
Todd Center said Tipton’s request for memorials to the Greer High School Booster Club or the high school, was typical of a man that bled gold and black for a school he loved since the time he played football for the Yellow Jackets.
Tipton died Monday at his parent’s home after a valiant battle with cancer. Read obituary here.
“He was Mr. Greer,” Perry said. “He knew everybody in Greer and wanted to please everyone. He was the epitome of what a booster club should be and he never wanted to be in the spotlight.”
Tipton would organize some halftime activities and award presentations and often stepped away from the honorees and presenter so he wouldn’t be in the photo.
Tipton was part of the field painting crew for home games, was president of the booster club and helped non-revenue sports teams organize fundraisers by enlisting Greer restaurants to contribute a percentage of profits the athletes and parents earned as volunteers.
“Tony probably did more for people than what we know,” Perry said.
“He was a worker bee. He rolled up his sleeves and would get things done,” Perry said. “He was nothing but positive.”
“He would do what was best for Greer and always do what was best for the kids,” Perry said. “He loved Greer, all the kids and his alma mater.”
Perry said Tipton’s work ethic and passion for contributing was the core of his family’s values and his parents, Tony Tipton, Sr., and his wife, Julie. “He had two of the best parents you could ever have,” Perry said. “They are quality people.”
“First and foremost Tony was an excellent father,” Greer Head Football Coach Will Young said. “He did a real good job with Jackson and Maddie. That was his primary focus in life.” Jackson Tipton played on defense for Young.
“We came to count on him pretty heavily every year,” Young said. “He wore Greer on his sleeves. Tony was one who never asked for anything but was always a guy that wanted to give.”
Tipton wrote narratives on Facebook each week during the football season. The writings were right out of “Friday Night Lights”, passion, reflections of years past, rivalries and educating players on the legend of the Greer Yellow Jackets.
“I will miss reading those posts on game days that struck chills down my whole body,” wrote Noah Hannon on his Facebook page. “Nobody else will be able to embody the voice behind those wonderful pieces because that is the voice of the true Jacket Backer. Thank you so much Mr. Tony. I know Heaven is painted Black And Gold right now. Love you man!”
Young said of Tipton’s life, “Tony grew up with it, played it and worked at it.”
Center recalled Tipton’s association with the booster club.
“Tony was concerned that most of the money coming into the booster club and its volunteers and board members were mostly football related,” Center said. “He felt a lot of teams – like track, cross country and tennis – were left out and he wanted to distribute the money.”
Tipton initiated booster club parking procedures where minor sports teams and teachers would help collecting the fees and received one-third of the monies. “There was a waiting list for people to help and teachers, some who didn’t even go to the game, would come out to help,” Center said.
The Jacket Nest was another idea Tipton helped put in place to rid the school of its Bumblebee Wagon, where Yellow Jackets apparel and souvenirs were sold.
“Tony was relentless,” Center said. “One Wednesday the painting machine went haywire while we were trying to line the field. It took all of Thursday and half a day on Friday until we could find the parts at an out of town paint store. But we had that field painted several hours before the pre-game activities.”
Perry said Tipton’s legacy in Greer would be of his unselfish devotion to everything Greer.
“Bring up Greer and Tony would have a glow on his face,” Perry said. “He bled black and gold.”