The loss of David Reader will be a big one for the local sports community

Got word this morning that David Reader Sr., D.J. Reader’s dad, passed away last night and this a big blow/shock to the local sports community..

Our thoughts and prayers go out to D.J.((Grimsley/Clemson)) and his mom and this a big loss, because Mr. Reader was known throughout Greensboro and he was deeply involved with local sports….

Mr. Reader was great talker and he could talk sports and education all day long….Talked to him many hours over the years and he helped a lot of kids with tutoring programs and with sports training programs at the recreation level and beyond….

Mr. Reader would shoot you straight with the real story up front and he would not give you the watered-down version, in other words he told you how it was from the get-go and he would cut to the chase and let you know how things ought to really be….

He played high school football for the Richmond County Raiders and he was going on to play college football, but I think there was some type of injury and he never got to realize that college potential, but he had a dream and that dream was for his son to play ball on the college level and he was able to live and see that dream/dreams come true….

Mr. Reader coached and taught D.J. to have quick feet and soft hands and with those qualities and characteristics, D.J. Reader was able to excel in football, basketball and baseball at Grimsley High School and then go on to play football and baseball at Clemson University…D.J. has done an outstanding job on the Clemson University football team and dropped baseball after his freshman year so he could focus on football entirely…

Mr. Reader knew how to get the best out of his son and from the local/area kids and if you took a poll from the kids he worked with, those kids would tell you that they are much better off today for having worked with David Reader/Mr. Reader….

I always called him Mr. Reader and I have considered it an honor to call him a friend over the years, Mr. Reader/David Reader is being missed already and we will keep his family in our prayers….

If you get a chance, reach out to D.J. and his mom, they could really use your support at this time….

Mr. Reader, your time/work here is done, but I’ve got this sneaky feeling that you and D.J. will playing a few of those one-one-one basketball games again some day up in heaven and D.J. better look out, you’ve got John Wooden and some pretty good coaches up there working with you until you and D.J. get together again….

Bet the next time they meet and play that one-on-one game, it will be on a Carolina Blue court too and by that time Mr. Reader will probably have Dean Smith as his new teacher and coach…..Mr. Reader a huge North Carolina Tar Heel fan? Yes his second favorite team, next to the Clemson Tigers….

We remember David Reader Sr. today and again, please keep his family(D.J. and D.J.’s mom in your prayers.)

*****David Reader would have been in his early 50’s.*****

10 thoughts on “The loss of David Reader will be a big one for the local sports community

  1. If you know DJ, you know what a great kid he is. And you can trace that right back to his mom and dad.

    I’m sure many have stories, I’ll just say this. DJ was one of the best HS athletes around, ever. But not once did I ever hear his parents brag or boast. They were proud, but always humble and thankful. Many of us can take lessons from them.

    RIP Mr. Reader!

  2. Outstanding family and the loss of David Reader is a major loss to the Greensboro sports landscape.

    He was very loyal to Grimsley and always helped out any way he could with the Whirlies.

    We all need to prop up the Reader family as much as we can in their time of need and loss.

    Do what you can to help the Readers. D.J. and his mom are in a very tough place now and they are in a time of real need and support.

  3. Andy you were right on with your post above. I did not know Mr. Reader for very long but I was highly impressed with him. You figure the caliber of athlete that DJ is that he and his family would be unapproachable but Mr. Reader was always open, honest, and just a wonderful person to sit down and talk with. Never lacking in great advice on sports and on life.

    He will be deeply missed by a large number of people touched by him.

    Prayers to DJ and the Reader Family.

  4. Rest in Peace, Mr. Reader. I always enjoyed talking to you at Grimsley games—-
    Eddie W.

  5. Have also received a few E-mails and I may try and share some of those with you tomorrow.

    There has been an out-pouring of support for the Reader family and I would like to see that continue….

  6. Mr Reader was a wise man, great teacher and a wonderful husband and father. Also a great friend The browns will miss him dearly! RIP….

  7. Andy,

    You are correct, Mr. Reader had an impact on everyone he came in contact with. I will be forever grateful for the support he gave to a young, first time head football coach, in myself. Mr. Reader was always someone I could count on to tell me the truth, whether good or bad, because he wanted not only the Grimsley Football Program to grow, but genuinely cared that I grow also.

    Mr. Reader did in fact teach DJ to have quick feet and soft hands, but more importantly, he instilled moral force and the qualities of empathy, sympathy, humility, leadership, and passion into DJ. He did this for many of our young men.

    I will forever be appreciative to the Reader family.

    Rest in Peace Mr. Reader…

    Condolences from New Jersey,

    Damon Coiro

  8. To sum up what people were saying in my E-mail box and they requested that names not be posted and we will leave it at that, but here is the gist of what they are saying:

    Devastating for the Readers and we need to lift them up in our prayers each day…

    Someone else said this was a test and that D.J. and his mom would grow stronger over time, but that it would take time to heal…

    Thanks for the support that everyone is showing…

    Andy

  9. The Paula Family is very saddened to have received the news of the passing of Mr. Reader. Yes, we too called him Mr. Reader out of the deep respect we have for him. We often spoke of taking a village to raise kids these days, and for all of the families that traveled together playing baseball, we are proud to have been part of the village that raised successful athletes and men as DJ, Luis, Johnny Jr, Josiel, Jaylin, Harrison and many more great athletes and men out of this area. Our village was led by the mentorship of Mr. and Mrs. Reader as our wise parents. We spent many seasons on the road together with our boys and families. Our girls chose to sit with the Readers at all games growing up, enjoying all of their time with them. It has been an honor to raise our son along with DJ and the Readers. Mr. Reader had great love for sports, education, character, and family. He shared this with all of us. Mr. Reader will be missed by all, especially by the Paula Family. Our hearts our out to Felicia and DJ.

  10. The family is being assisted by Woodard Funeral Home and the service will be held this Saturday(July 5) at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church on Martin Luther King Blvd…

    Visitation will held from 12 Noon till 1pm on Saturday and then the funeral for Mr. Reader will begin at 1pm, at the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church….

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