Travis N. Creed

Travis N. Creed, 85, a respected Pine Bluff banker, gifted athlete, and founder of the nationally known King Cotton Holiday Classic basketball tournament, passed away on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. He was born in Camden, Arkansas, on November 28, 1939, to the late Travis Thompson "Pete" Creed and Evelyn Newton Creed.
Travis and his sister grew up in Camden, where he distinguished himself as a record-setting athlete at Camden High School, lettering in football, basketball, and golf. He captured two state high school championships in golf, achievements that foreshadowed a lifelong passion for competition and excellence.
In 1962, Travis moved to Pine Bluff with his wife, Ann Hall Creed, where he pursued a career in finance. He rose to become Executive Vice President of Guaranty Federal Savings and Loan and later served as Pine Bluff Area President of Savers Federal Savings and Loan. Known for his steady leadership and personable style, he built enduring relationships throughout Pine Bluff's business and civic community.
Travis had been an active member of First Methodist Church of Pine Bluff since 1962 and served in many capacities
Beyond his finance career, Travis left a lasting mark on Arkansas sports. In 1981, he founded King Cotton Sports, Inc., and in 1983 launched the King Cotton Holiday Classic. Serving as tournament director for the first 17 years, he brought nationally ranked teams, legendary college coaches, and major media attention to Pine Bluff each holiday season. The Classic became a centerpiece of the community and one of the premier holiday basketball tournaments in the country. When the tournament was revived in 2018, Travis returned as a consultant and elder statesman for the event he created and cherished.
In 1989, during the heyday of the King Cotton Holiday Classic, Travis Creed launched a second Arkansas-based national sports event, a three-day amateur bass fishing tournament known as the Budweiser Big Bass Classic and later known as the Arkansas Ford Dealers Big Bass Bonanza and, finally, the Simmons Bank Big Bass Bonanza. Creed's vision in launching the tournament capitalized on Arkansas's infatuation with fishing and other outdoor sports, creating an event which would be a major source of tourism revenue from participants for his hometown of Pine Bluff and other communities along the Arkansas River. The tournament attracted participants from 21 states and was held annually until its final year in 2018. From its inception, Creed's vision was that the tournament's prize money would be a major attraction, with total prize money guaranteed to be at least $100,000.
Travis was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his loving wife, Ann Hall Creed; his children, Travis N. Creed, Jr. and his wife Lisa Cangemi Creed, and Ginger Creed Wade and her husband Steven C. Wade; his grandchildren, Elizabeth Ann Wade Lepine, Jim Wade, Amelia Creed Sanders and Travis N. Creed III; his great-grandchildren, Ivy Lepine and Leo Lepine; and his sister, Carol Creed Gard.
Funeral services will be held on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at First Methodist Church, 200 West Sixth Avenue, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with arrangements entrusted to Robinson & Fuller. A reception will follow the service.
Memorials may be made to First Methodist Church, 200 West 6th Avenue, Pine Bluff, AR 71601; or to Caleb's Climb, Post Office Box 20610, White Hall, AR 71602.
Friends and loved ones may share memories and condolences at RobinsonFuller.com