Eley Anderson

Eley Lester Anderson, "Papa Eley", passed away at the age of 81 while surrounded by his loving family on July 12, 2025, at Emory Decatur Hospital due to medical complications.

Eley was a wild force of charisma: he hung out with the baddest and made cuties of all ages blush; he was the life of the party and made friends everywhere he went. Once you met him, you never forgot him. He had stories for miles and life guidance for all (whether you asked for it or not). Eley's humor was unmatched, and he could charm the hell out of anyone. People loved the way he made them feel about themselves. He made little kids feel like they were the coolest, and he inspired grown adults to live life to the fullest. The wild side was where Eley thrived: he lived a life full of adventure, and his passion for people and motorcycles reflected that spirit.

Born in Miami, Florida to Lester Anderson and Dorris Anderson (née Eley), Eley started working hard to earn money at a young age. He started at 13 with one paper route and grew that to four which led to him buying his first motorcycle, an Allstate. His next motorcycle was a Triumph Tiger Cub which led to a lifelong love of Triumphs and Harley-Davidsons.

After graduating from high school, Eley enlisted in the Air Force. He was stationed at Vandenberg AFB in California where he was on the Strategic Air Command Judo Team. While stationed at Vandenberg, he met Mary, a cute, spunky teenager. She didn’t like him at first, but luckily for all of us, she changed her mind—and by the time of his passing, they had been married for nearly 61 years

The two of them moved from California with their infant daughter, Corie-Lynn, to join his family in Tucker, GA after his honorable discharge from the Air Force with the rank of Senior Airman. After the birth of their second daughter, Ponda, they moved to Decatur, GA where they have lived for the last 55 years and are beloved members of the community. Their home is famous for the yearly display of blowups at Halloween and Christmas that decades of children have gone to. That tradition will continue!

Eley retired at 50 from DeKalb County Motor Maintenance after many dedicated years and moved right on to traveling with Mary around the country seeing their friends and selling motorcycle parts in places such as Daytona Beach, FL, Davenport, IA, and Wauseon, OH. While not traveling, he enjoyed watching Nascar, NHRA and Flat Track races, going to buffets and restaurants (only with a coupon!), and to Mary's often dismay, collecting things on the side of the road that he was quite certain that he had a use for.

His pride and joy were the members of his family. Eley "Papa Eley" is survived by his beloved wife, Mary Anderson, his daughters Corie-Lynn Cloud and Ponda Anderson, his grandsons A. Thyles Eley (Callie) Cloud, Crimson (Lauren) Cloud, Julian Kriest, Peyton (Nym) Kriest, and Tristan Anderson-McAdoo along with his father Randy McAdoo, and his great-grandchildren Everett Eley Cloud, Maggie Cloud, and Wylie Cloud.

In keeping with his love for high school football, in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the "The Blaze of Glory Marching Band" at Druid Hills High School:

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"Say Bye"