RIP Earnest Reese

Another retired AJC longtimer passes away. Earnest was one of the Atlanta paper's first fulltime black sports writers and covered many small-college football games around the state. I had the pleasure of working alongside him in his last year/my first year covering Georgia Southern in 2002.

Tweets from the AJC:

A link to his son's website. He appears to be a PhD at a college in California: http://www.csupomona.edu/~rrreese/nonfla/earnest.html

 

Got to know him a little bit while covering Georgia State basketball during the Lefty Driesel days. Ernie was about as easy-going as it go, quick with gentle humor and very welcoming to an unknown hack. Definitely a sad day, but the guy lived a full life.

 

Well, damn. I guess there are probably some old-timers who worked at the AJC who are getting a little concerned about the rule of three right about now.

RIP.

 

Was on the desk at the AJC in the early 1980s. Ernie, as writers did in those days, took his turns working the rim with us. When he showed up for work, we'd all go "EEEEEEEEEEEEE." To sum it up: He was a good man.

 

Oh man, another legend gone. Ernie taught me a lot of things and it was a pleasure working along side of him. He worked hard and taught me the value of being versatile. He was a great guy and always spoke what was on his mind. RIP my friend.

 

Ernie Reese was one of the nicest, most empowering men you'd ever meet in Sports Journalism. As a clerk and then a part-timer and intern at the AJC in the 1980s, there were so many talented mentors in so many different ways. The passings of Furman Bisher and Ernie Reese in the last week are tremendous losses as far as sportswriting talent goes, but even bigger losses as people.

 

I knew Ernie. Great guy who lived life to the fullest. He got all he could out of living and then some. RIP, my friend.

 

My heart is breaking at this news.
A damn good man and dame fine man to share a pressbox with.
RIP, my friend.

 

Ernie was such a solid person, writer, gentleman. Especially his voice and laugh -- honey and gravel. Goodbye my friend.

 

A nice obit from the AJC -- http://www.ajc.com/news/earnest-l-reese-jr-1403402.html

 

Sigh. Yeah, another sad loss of a fine man and true professional. RIP Ernie.