At cookouts and parties, everyone knew where to find Anthony Calvin Abel — he would be line dancing and having so much fun that he’d be the last one to leave.
“He wasn’t just the life of the party, he was the life of the life,” his daughter Anea Abel-Wilson said.
Anthony was also known for his love of cars, and he would attend the Philadelphia Auto Show every year. But nothing compared to the love he had for his family.
Anthony, who had recently started working for Amazon, was a father of four, and family was the most important thing to him. In recent months, he had been trying to have a better relationship with his children. Loyalty was important to him, and that was a lesson Anea learned from her father: Do all you can to keep your family as close to you as possible.
He wouldn’t get the opportunity to continue working toward a deeper connection with his family, though. Anthony was found fatally shot inside his East Mount Airy home on April 17, 2020. No arrests have been made.
“This hit us like a ton of bricks and we’re all puzzled as to why,” Anea said.
Challee Allen first met Anthony when they were kids. For more than 10 years, they had been in an on-again, off-again relationship, and his sense of humor is one of the qualities she loved. He was playful and did all he could to make her laugh.
They enjoyed each other’s company, whether they were visiting the Poconos or bowling or playing cards. They were best friends and shared a bond that lasted throughout the years, and if some time had passed since they spoke, they were able to pick up where they left off.
Anthony’s nickname was “Boop,” which he earned as a child because his head was big like Betty Boop. Anea takes after her father most, but Anthony recognized is characteristics in all of his kids.
“He could see himself in them,” Challee said. “To him, that was the best part of him. They’re all unique in their own way, but they all had something from him and he could see it and identify it. He loved that. It made him feel like he had a purpose and will always be here, which he is.”
In addition to Anea, Anthony is survived by his three other children, Ahkirah, Kyree and Damir, and three grandchildren, Ava, Ah’siya and Jalissa. He was preceded in death by his father, Edward Amos, on June 1, 2019.
A reward of up to $20,000 if available to anyone that comes forward with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Anthony’s murder. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling the Citizens Crime Commission at 215-546-TIPS.
Date: 2020-04-17
Location: 200 E Montana St, Philadelphia, PA
