Calkins: Larry Rea may have told more Memphis stories than anyone. He did it with unmistakable joy.

By , Daily Memphian Updated: September 30, 2025 7:45 PM CT | Published: September 30, 2025 12:56 PM CT
Geoff Calkins
Daily Memphian

Geoff Calkins

Geoff Calkins has been chronicling Memphis and Memphis sports for more than two decades. He is host of "The Geoff Calkins Show" from 9-11 a.m. M-F on 92.9 FM. Calkins has been named the best sports columnist in the country five times by the Associated Press sports editors, but still figures his best columns are about the people who make Memphis what it is.

Larry Rea didn’t write about mayors or city council members or NBA stars. He wrote your neighbors and friends. Rea, who covered high school sports and the outdoors for nearly 60 years, died Saturday at the age of 82.

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Larry Rea Outdoors with Larry Rea Bill Dance

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