Mr. James W. Cannady

June 18, 1943 - September 3, 2020

James Willie Cannady, affectionally known as “T-Bone”, was the son of the late Columbus and Lauran Cannady. T-Bone was born on June 18, 1943 in Baltimore, Maryland. He departed this life after a lengthy illness and gained his wings on September 3, 2020. At a young age, T-Bone joined Mount Mariah Church in South Carolina, where he sang on the choir and attended Sunday schoool. While in South Carolina, his main priority was the farm owned by his grandparents. T-Bone was always willing to help his grandparents with chores such as plowing the fields, planting and picking cotton, planting vegetables, and feeding the animals. He spent countless hours picking over 200 pounds of cotton or more daily. T-Bone was briefly educated in Plum Branch, South Carolina Public School System. In 1956, TBone, along with his brother, Junior, and Bertrum, affectionately known as “Foot”, moved back to Baltimore and lived in a home that their parents purchased on Whitelock Street. In 1961, TBone received his high school diploma at the Old Fredrick Douglas High School in Baltimore, Maryland. At the tender age of thirteen, T-Bone’s first job was delivering newspapers. His newspaper route was the biggest in West Baltimore from Eutaw Street to Druid Hill Park Lake Drive. As T-Bone entered adulthood, he moved to Washington D.C. to live with his oldest brother, Junior, who got him a job. Together they worked for Whiting and Turner Company where James stayed there for a few years before moving back to Baltimore to work with his father at Sparrows Point. T-Bone retired from Pimlico Race Course in 1975. He devoted his time cleaning up his community in areas such as Whitelock, where he lived, Lakeview Avenue, Callow Avenue, and Brookfield Avenue. He always wanted to have a good time doing activities he loved such as playing cards, dancing, and music. T-Bone was a mentor to people in the neighborhood, lend a helping hand to those in need, and always had money. T-Bone was also a mama’s boy who would do anything for his mother. He treated his parents with the upmost respect and took all troubles off of people’s shoulders. He rarely said no to anybody and was never a gossiper. Your secret was always safe with T-Bone. T-Bone always said the funniest things. He teased his sister, Lillian, by calling her names like “Mumps”. He greeted you with sayings like “Hey Sweetheart/Baby Doll” and “Looking all jazzy, looking all cute”. His infamous lines were “Way across town”, “If you don’t like my ways, you can shorten my days, I’m the real nitty gritty in the heart of this city.”, “Take your time babe, take your time”, and “When the money gone, she gone.” T-Bone lived with his sister Lillian, who cared for her brother day and night. Her daily love and support for T-Bone, particularly during the critical times, were endless. No matter the time of day or night, Lillian’s love was endless and she was there with T-Bone until his final days. T-Bone married his one and only wife, McCherrie Brown, in 1961 and divorced two years later in 1963. They had no children from this union. He is proceeded in death by his mother, Lauren Cannady, and father Columbus Cannady, four brothers, Columbus Cannady Jr, Bertrum “Foot” Cannady, the twins Ralph and Rudolph Cannady, and his sister Carolyn Harrison. T-Bone leaves to cherish his memory: his devoted sister, Lillian Billy, Laura Phinney, Henry Cannady, a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.