Reginald Lee "Rex" Pleasant Jr., 69, of Atlanta, Georgia, passed away on May 9, 2026. Born April 12, 1957, in Charleston, West Virginia, Rex lived a life defined by loyalty, laughter, and an unshakeable love for the people he called his own.

Rex was a gifted athlete from an early age. He pitched his team to the Little League World Series in Florida in the mid-to-late 1960s and went on to earn back-to-back state championship titles as a standout point guard with the Charleston High School Mountain Lions varsity basketball team in 1973 and 1974. His love of sport never left him — from pickup basketball into his 40s to perfecting his golf game and, with characteristic determination, recruiting his wife Sheila to join him on the course.

His career was built in technology sales, with roles at IBM Office Products Division, Wang Laboratories, Vobix Corporation, and Mini Max Information Systems, all in Louisville, Kentucky. In retirement, he remained active, working part-time at the UPS Smart Hub in Atlanta.

Rex was a man who filled every room with music, with laughter, and with presence. He was the self-appointed DJ of every gathering, turning up the classic rock, R&B, and jazz to legendary volumes. He loved pool, darts, karaoke, and the company of good friends. When Rex was your friend, he was your friend for life — fiercely loyal and generous to a fault.

Rex and his wife, Sheila, were born just eight days apart, she on April 4, he on April 12, 1957, and first became friends at the age of 15. Life took them in different directions, but it also brought them back together. They reconnected later in life, and what had once been friendship deepened into something unbreakable. In April 2026, just weeks before his passing, they celebrated their shared 69th birthdays and 28 years of marriage — a love story that began in childhood and never really stopped.

He is preceded in death by his father, Reginald Lee Pleasant Sr.; his mother, Oretha Barksdale; his baby sister, Kimberly Yvonne Pleasant; and his nephew, Lawrence Louis "LB" Booker.

Rex is survived by his beloved wife and soulmate, Sheila James Pleasant; his children, Reginald L. "Rexx" Pleasant III, Ashley Britton Harper (Nathan), John E. "Trey" Britton III (Lauren), and Andrew T. Pleasant; his grandchildren, Aya Pleasant, Sophia Pleasant, Trenton T. "Trent" Pleasant, Millie Drew Pleasant, Amelia Jean "Milli" Britton, Sean Marcus Harper, and John E. "Kade" Britton IV; his siblings, Vicki Lynn Pleasant, Sandi Pleasant Greenhowe (“L.L.”), and Ronald Louis Pleasant; and a cherished circle of nieces and nephews.

There will be a Celebration of Life in Atlanta, GA June 13, 2026 and Burial Service in Charleston, WV in August. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make a memorial donation in honor of Reginald Lee Pleasant Jr. class of 1981 to WVSU at https://connect.wvstateu.edu/give/StateOfTomorrow.