Rhea Shreve Tucker (86) of Killeen, Texas, went to be with Jesus on Saturday afternoon, May 25, 2019, at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas. He was born in Greensburg, Kentucky, on July 18, 1932, to the late William Preston and Mary Elizabeth Shreve Tucker. Rhea spent many happy childhood summers in Whitewood, Kentucky, at the home of his maternal grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Garland Shreve), whom he called Haha and Mama. His large family (his parents and their 10 children), moved to Louisville, Kentucky, when Rhea was a young boy. He has fond memories of Tennessee Avenue, Iroquois Park, Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby (where he helped park cars as a young boy), Louisville Slugger, Manual High School, and 4th Avenue Methodist Church. Many of his friends called him “Shreveie” and in high school his nickname was “Stick,” because he was such a good baseball player. Rhea graduated from Manual High School in 1951 and attended Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, on a baseball scholarship. He was drafted by the Dodgers organization in 1952 and played “D Ball” with his high school friend, Pee Wee Reese, and also played in Spring Training with a young Jackie Robinson. He always told the story that he got released from pro baseball because he couldn’t hit the curve ball! Rhea was drafted into the U. S. Army in 1953, and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He played for the Army Baseball Team (the Fort Hood Tankers), and met the Wilson Family while visiting the Fort Hood Youth Center (run by Ruby Lee Wilson). After his release from the Army in 1955, he married Adelia Ann (Dee) Wilson in Killeen, Texas, in December, 1955, and gained two brothers-in-law that he really loved, Lee Bailey and Billy Gayle Wilson. After living in Louisville then Minnesota for a couple of years, Rhea & Dee returned to Texas, where Rhea finished his college degree in 1960 at Howard Payne College in Brownwood, Texas, majoring in Secondary Education and Physical Education. Moving back to Killeen, he began his teaching and coaching career with Killeen ISD in the fall of 1960 as a P.E. teacher at Meadows Elementary School. He and Dee had three children: Billy Rhea, Karen Sue, and Richard Lee. Rhea taught History and P.E. and was the head coach at Nolan Junior High, then became the head baseball coach and an assistant football coach at Killeen High School in 1974. Rhea retired from Killeen ISD in 2001 and had many great stories and adventures about teaching and coaching for over 40 years. Rhea loved to play fastpitch softball and also coached several Little League baseball and ASA fastpitch teams. He really liked to fish and was always up for games of ping pong, horseshoes, washers, shuffleboard, jarts, cards, or dominos. Lots of people were fascinated by his famous card trick, “Little Joe,” and he could tell scary stories that people still talk about today. Rhea loved the Lord and remembered hearing his Grandfather (Garland Shreve) preach at Hogard’s Chapel in Whitewood – he said it was “fire and brimstone” preaching! He remembers his mother telling him, from a very early age, “Jesus is coming soon Rhea Shreve – be ye ready.” In his later years he rarely missed an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus. As his eyesight began to fail, he purchased a magnifying glass with a light so he could read his Bible. Rhea was so proud of his family, and would always make sure he had a special story and a nickname for each child, grandchild, and friend. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Billy Tucker, and sisters Mary Catherine Tucker Smith, Rebecca Moss Tucker Gibson, and Fanny Beth Tucker. He is survived by his children Billy Rhea (Dana) Tucker, Karen Sue (Charles) Weiss, and Richard Lee Tucker; his brothers Herman P. Tucker (Jo), Thomas G. Tucker (Sandy), and Philip B. Tucker (Paulette); his sisters Nan Lee Tucker Woods and Betsy Tucker Houchins; grandchildren Gene Rhea (Colleen) Tucker, Karol-Jo (Rachel) Hendricks, Amy (Jeromie) Bernal, Melissa (Nathan) Lovvorn, Travis (Meredith) Tucker, James (Krystal) Weiss, and Terri Linn (Scott) Quincey; and by his great-grandchildren Chase Keller, Maci Bernal, Tinley Tucker, Kingston Lovvorn, Lucy and Analiese Weiss, and Kennen and Cody Quincey.
Rhea … Shreveie … Stick … Pappie … Coach Tucker … was beloved by many, and it is hard to find someone who knew him that didn’t have a really great story to tell about him. He had many friends and lots of former students and athletes who kept in touch with him. His was a life well-lived, and he will be sorely missed by all who were fortunate enough to know him.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2019 from 10-11 AM at First Baptist Church of Killeen, Texas; the funeral will follow at First Baptist Church at 11 AM with burial at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Building Fund of the First Baptist Church of Killeen, Texas.
