Dr. Tony Max Cleaver, Sr., 81 of Killeen, Texas, passed away on Feb. 25 in Temple, Texas. He became a follower of Jesus Christ at 12 and surrendered to the gospel ministry at age 20. He was married Jerrie Sue Kellar (daughter of Gerald Kellar) on August 29, 1965 and was a member of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Texas.
After starting his college journey as a pre-dental student, he surrendered to God’s call during his junior year and went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science in Education degrees from Baylor University, a Master of Divinity from the BMA Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary. He also attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College.
He pastored churches in Texas and Mississippi, joined the United States Army in 1976 and became the first Army chaplain to represent the BMA of America. He retired from the Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel. Additionally, he was a public school teacher and counselor, as well as a community college counselor. In 2001, he joined the staff at Jacksonville College in Jacksonville, Texas, first as director of development and later as the chair of the Religion Department. In 2010, he returned to his alma mater, BMA Theological Seminary, where he served as a professor of Biblical Literature and director of Distance Education until his retirement at the end of 2023, after more than 13 years of service.
During his ministry, Dr. Cleaver began what was to become a vital part of his life by writing short essays about everyday experiences from the perspective of a minister and teacher. Over the years, his articles were published in the Baptist Trumpet and other BMA papers under the column “Leave it to Cleaver.” Additionally, he published his articles in book form on Amazon, and at the time of his death, he had authored 10 books available on the platform.
Other survivors include: a daughter, Amelia (Michael) Cleaver Hartman; a son, Max (Brandie) Cleaver, Jr.; a brother, Shelley Cleaver; a sister, Polly Frederick (Craig Cooper); and three grandchildren.
A celebration of life is scheduled for March 21, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Killeen, Texas, with visitation at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas, at 3 p.m.
The family requests, that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the scholarship fund at the BMA Theological Seminary, via bmats.edu/donate or P.O. Box 670, 1530 E. Pine Street, Jacksonville, Texas 75766, or the Killeen Education Foundation for the Cleaver Family Scholarship, via killeenisd.org/education_foundation or by calling (254) 336-0182.
