Anthony J. Strother

July 15, 2003 - May 17, 2022

On May 17, 2022 God looked down at his earthly garden and plucked out one of his beautiful roses. Anthony Joseph Strother also known as “Slugger” was born July 15, 2003 to the late Susan Greene and Eric Strother of New Haven, CT. Anthony was educated in the New Haven Public School System. He attended Lincoln Bassett, Wexler-Grant and Co-Op High School. He also had several places of employment such as Loyalty Moving Company, Amazon, Dunkin Donuts, Lowes and a temp job with Yale Bowl. Anthony was also involved with the “CT Violent Intervention Program” where he was mentored by three outstanding individuals: Jahad Leonard, William Outlaw and Tyrone Whitaker. He was also mentored by the New Haven Public School Supervisor of Youth & Family and family friend Kermit Carolina along with New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson, Sherryll Roberts from Juvenile Probation who worked effortlessly with him and his Pastor Dr. Bishop Phillip Boone with whom Anthony developed a special bond with. Slugger loved listening to music, playing video games and he loved to drive. You would know that he was in the front passenger seat because the seat would be laid all the way back, that’s the way he liked to ride. Slugger had a passion for cars and he knew cars very well. His first car was an Infinity. His favorite sports were basketball and football. His favorite basketball team was the Los Angeles Lakers, his favorite football team was the New York Giants and his favorite baseball team was the Boston Red Sox. He played football for Wexler-Grant Elementary School and Hamden Hurricanes. He played basketball for Farnam Neighborhood Community Center. Slugger thought he was the best basketball player there was and his Grandma Tootie thought so too. She loved to hear the story how he went to Goffee Street to play basketball and some of the guys at the horse-shoe pit stopped playing horse-shoes to watch him play basketball and saying how good of a basketball player he was. Slugger would sign up for a job way out of town and tell his dad at the last minute and you best believe that dad would get him there, even though he would tell his father that he was ready - his father would go start the car and call Slugger phone - he would keep saying, “I’m coming out now”, and it would be 45 minutes later before he actually would be ready. Slugger had a great love for kids and he was such a good uncle. He had an unconditional bond with his step-mother Kimberly Moore Strother, she was someone who he would laugh and joke with. Slugger was very protective of his siblings and had a different bond with each of them. When his mom passed he went from being a big brother to Rickshawn to a protective father figure. Anthony had a smile that would brighten up a room and boy could he eat. He loved boneless spare ribs with pork fried rice and pizza. He thought that anything that was in the fridge that belonged to you most definitely belonged to him too. Slugger and his brothers went to Bridgeport to play horse-shoes in the kids tournament. Whoever made the first five won bicycles and they won the bikes and Mike put the bikes on the back of his truck and brought them home. There were some people that had a special place in his heart: Jamar Nichols, Nahiem Washington, Jaison and Jane Alcala, Mitchell McGibony, his Aunt Frances, Aunt Jessica Payne, a special cousin Kevin Wormly and Uncle Michael Smith. He leaves to cherish his memories; father Eric Strother and step-mother Kimberly Moore Strother of New Haven, CT, eight brothers James Harris, Ricky Douglas, Lamar Lawrence, Michael Douglas, Adrien Hasell, James Douglas, Rickshawn Strother and Jordan Strother all of New Haven, CT, five sisters Shonda Patterson of Hamden, CT, Erica Dekane (Carmello Dekane) of Bridgeport, CT, Sally Douglas, Ki’niah Strother, Derricka Moore and step-sister Fantasia Moore all of New Haven, CT, his girlfriend Tanasia Quicksey of New Haven, CT, Maternal Grandparents Donna and Wallace Greene of New Haven, CT, Paternal Grandmother Vergie Strother (Tootie) of New Haven, CT, Godmothers Christine Miller, Georgia Gallimore and Rodnisha Greene of New Haven, CT, God-sisters Dionnie McLaurin of New Haven, CT and Danielle Tindal of Sumter, SC, God-brother Devin Tindal, two aunts Patricia Washington and Cathy Strother of New Haven, CT, five uncles James Washington, Roderick Strother and Perry Flowers of New Haven, CT, Keith Greene of Florida and Kenny Strother of Virginia and a host of nieces, nephews and friends. He was predeceased by his mother Susan Greene, brother Eric Lewis, Uncle Kenny Greene, great great Aunt Cora Ashley, paternal grandfather Joseph Strother, maternal great grandparents Ruth Giles Batts and Wesley Batts and paternal Great grandmother Cathleen Washington.