To everyone who loves Tony, I wanted to create this page as an opportunity for us to share our stories with each other. Please post about Tony in the comments section - what you loved and admired about him and memories of him. I want this to be a space of communal grief and celebration in honor of the incredibly beautiful person that we love so much. There are so many of you from all over the country who have been impacted by Tony, whether for brief moments or for years and years.
If you have photos that you would like to add to the photos page, please send them to [email protected] Thank you for loving Tony. Love, Bethany
55 Comments
Drew Golightly
7/31/2020 07:20:59 pm
Tony, our time was brief as friends before we moved but here's what I know about you. You love deep, you love well and you care about the people around you. You care deeply for marginalized people and you love your wife dearly. You love God. I have always been impressed by your confidence, your humor and your talents. We mourn for you here but we look forward to the day we will see you again. Love you bro!
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Jessica
7/31/2020 07:40:06 pm
The mention of the name Tony Lamb immediately brings joy, and excitement. He lived with pure simple love of Jesus. I can’t imagine anyone feeling anything but genuine acceptance from him. Tony sees people.
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Eve
7/31/2020 07:44:57 pm
Tony our friendship was brand new when I came to Antioch what I can remember is that you loved people and you loved making laugh and feel like they belonged. You were hilarious! A man of God, a wonderful husband and a good friend. Go rest now with Jesus! We will all be waiting for the day to be reunited! Love you brother!
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Ty Buice
7/31/2020 07:49:27 pm
Tony was the life of any gathering we had. His smile was pure sunshine and his strong arm around me always made me feel appreciated.
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Tosin Abiodun
7/31/2020 07:51:23 pm
Tony, oh, Tony! You were an amazing, kind hearted and gracious individual. The world just lost a rare gem. This is such a sad news. I consider it a great privilege under heaven to have known you.
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Abby Wilhelm
7/31/2020 08:02:25 pm
Tony, I met you so many years ago through a community group at Imago. I was amazed by your brilliance for what justice looks like practically and what considering the margins really meant. Your expression of these things has long stayed with me. I am deeply grieved by your death, knowing that it is at such a cost to such a swath of people. You advocated and studied and cared so deeply. Your life mattered. You left an impression on the souls of many.
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Andrew
7/31/2020 08:25:06 pm
I just wanted you to know that Tony’s words to me were very impactful. I wish I had the chance to tell him this one more time. One occasion in particular Tony boldly and courageously educated me on my ignorance of racism in this country and the damage it does when we fail to educate ourselves and listen. I am a fool in many ways but hopefully less a fool because Tony chose to lovingly and graciously correct me, teach me and call me to be better. I am so grateful for the brief moments I shared with him and the lasting impact they had on me. I just wanted you to know he made an impact on me probably beyond what he knew. And even years after the fact his words continue to hold me accountable on how I love my black brothers and sisters. What i teach my children about racism and and our complicity in it has absolutely been shaped by Tony. If I succeed in being better at being an ally it is because Tony chose to teach me. He was an amazing man. So so sorry for your loss.
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Mike Webb
7/31/2020 08:46:15 pm
Tony and I were classmates at Powell High School and I was lucky enough to have quite a few classes with him. His knack for making people laugh (even at the most inopportune of times) was priceless.
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Brandon
7/31/2020 08:56:10 pm
Tony's ambition, energy, and confidence always inspired me, and he always seemed to bring out the best in others. He had a big heart and his loving support for others will live on in my memory and heart. He was the visionary and soul of our grad school team, and his contagious laugh and playful humor always lifted the moral. I'm really going to miss you, Tony. Love you, buddy.
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Maggie Holbert
7/31/2020 08:59:22 pm
I was a high-school classmate of Tonys. He had an incredible way of making people smile. I will always remember him for being someone who kept any situation positive and fun! The world will surely be a less happy place without him here. All my love Tony! ✌🏼
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Demetri Finch-Brown
7/31/2020 09:23:46 pm
Tony, what can I say, but that you are a force like no other. Your energy and passion for those around you is just so amazing. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to work with you and learn from you. May you rest in love and peace my friend.💗
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Deidra Savage
7/31/2020 09:31:28 pm
Tony was a wonderful friend and brother. He made any event a party. Korean bathhouse, Austin day trips, gourdoughs, dance parties in the car, long conversations that always left me encouraged are only a few memories I have with him. I’ll always be thankful for our friendship. Bethany, we love you. He is now free and I am so thankful for that.
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Holly
7/31/2020 10:12:58 pm
Tony, I remember when you & Bethany came to Fort Worth a couple of times...we laughed & laughed & stayed up late talking and you were so much fun playing with Leo. You are vibrant. Full of life. Funny & smart. This is how I will remember you. I really wish we had another chance to spend time with you.
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Jessica Mizell
8/1/2020 04:14:52 am
I never got the chance to meet Tony except through all the amazing photos his wife and he posted. I've known Bethany since we were babies and though I never met Tony, what I do know is how blindingly happy he made her and anyone else he was around. I had never seen her so happy, them both with huge beautiful grins, embracing life. Loving it together. I may not have known Tony personally but anyone who could bring such joy and fullness to other's, must have been beyond any description. He clearly loved without condition. ❤
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Kelly Gould
8/1/2020 05:41:13 am
Tony had a big heart and a big love for people. He made me laugh constantly and had a great sense of humor that could brighten a room. My fondest memories of Tony are during his time in Texas when he and Bethany were dating and later on hiking with Bethany and Tony in Portland area.
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Casey
8/1/2020 07:06:27 am
In my kitchen one day, I jokingly told Tony that he was a beautiful man. With a wide grin, he laughed and wholeheartedly agreed with me. There was truth in the context of this lighthearted pronouncement.
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Megan Lamb
8/1/2020 07:32:00 am
Tony, where do I even begin? You were my big brother, my inspiration, my rock for so long, and my best friend. I always looked up to you and admired you. Your strength, love, compassion, and your Faith in our lord. You had a smile that could light up the dark. You touched the lives of so many people and made a huge impact on everyone you encountered. I am beyond blessed to have been your little sister. Just know how much you are missed and loved dearly by everyone who had the pleasure of knowing you. I am so proud of you for always standing for what you know was right. May you rest peacefully in the arms of God until we meet again.♥️
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Jennie Jaksha
8/1/2020 08:12:07 am
You will be missed Tony. I admire how your life was led by the things we were passionate. You never settled for being silent or neutral on issues you cared so deeply for. You made a mark on so many peoples lives. We love you.
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Jennie Jaksha
8/1/2020 08:15:49 am
*things you were passionate about
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Tiffany Kamphuis
8/1/2020 08:50:29 am
Tony, I did not know you personally, but I know your wife and I was there at the beginning when the two of you were sending sweet voice texts (before I even knew that was a thing!) to each other while she was in Cambodia. I know because I was her roommate and I saw the joy and excitement written all over her face every time she received one. And I could hear the love in her voice when she would sneak into the bathroom to send you one. So, even though I didn’t get to experience you firsthand...I know that you were a man who loved fiercely and creatively and brought joy to others. And for that I am heartbroken that we no longer have you on this earth. ❤️
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Lena Satterlee
8/1/2020 09:12:58 am
Our discipleship school year was a hard one for me but doing it with Tony was the bright spot. Many times we’d talk and laugh when we were supposed to be focusing. He had a big brother heart that pulled people in and lifted people up. He was fun and real. He loved Bethany. He asked me over and over again when I got engaged if he was going to be invited to my wedding...but we weren’t THAT good of friends. ;) He was just too loveable to say no to though. But the deal was he had to bring Bethany. There’s a picture in our wedding album of them both dancing together. Now I will cherish that.
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Eden Dabbs
8/1/2020 09:25:39 am
Hey, Tony - I sat in your cubicle for awhile yesterday. A few times, as I was packing up mine. Thought about our over-the-cube wall conversations and how much I enjoyed being in your “orbit” - if only for a little while. You made my life richer and more meaningful. So grateful to know you, so sad to see you go. Vaya con dios, sweet soul.
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Mary Lou Halley
8/1/2020 09:59:45 am
Oh Tony! I remember how your heart broke for the women selling themselves on Morrow. You organized prayer walks to End the sorrow on Morrow. And if we saw someone who looked like they needed a friend, you would make sure to talk to them. I am so grateful you were in our training school class. We will pray for Bethany and your family. And I’m grateful that you are now with the One who sought you. ❤️
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Douglas Armstrong
8/1/2020 10:00:48 am
Tony,
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JD Holland
8/1/2020 10:34:30 am
I had a short text conversation with him in June. He was one who always made me laugh (tickles or not!). Tony had a way about him that could easily connect with others. I saw the way Jesus’ love bubbled up in him and through him.
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Andrew Kruse
8/1/2020 10:34:58 am
I met Tony at the Rosewood when I was new to understanding how my faith and community development intersected. He was very encouraging to me and I am thankful to have known him. Praying for his family. Rest In Peace Tony!
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Samuel
8/1/2020 11:26:43 am
Tony was such a down-to-earth, passionate, loving guy! I met him first in a Real Estate class at PSU, then had the opportunity to work with him at the City of Portland. His love for community and relentless drive towards economic, racial, and social justice was energy that truly formed my first working years, and what many have got a chance to see in action. Yet, in addition, I got to form a real close friendship with Tony, sharing meals with him, drinks, zoom calls, hikes, and runs in the mountains whenever life got too crazy and needed an escape. Those conversations were so good and life-giving! Tony, I hope those wings you got can let you see all those you have impacted along the way! Rest in power! We'll go on another epic trail run one day and deliberate how to further uplift communities around us!
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Lauren
8/1/2020 11:54:29 am
Tony was a clear and committed leader on equity in Portland. We served together on Portland Bureau of Transportation's Bureau and Budget Advisory Committee, where he was unafraid to ask tough questions as he co-chaired that committee. He mentored me as I stepped into co-chairing, as well, sharing invaluable insights and guidance about how to be a good steward of the group and keep equity at the forefront. He was sharp and quick to laugh, and had a killer fashion sense to boot (I remember some turquoise jewelry he got last year that I just loved). His death is a profound loss to Portland. May all of the people who have served with him over the years in activism and city planning continue carrying his torch.
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Shannon Vandegriff
8/1/2020 12:38:48 pm
We love you Tony and will always remember you as an amazing, adventurous person committed to making your community and the world a better place. You brought life, joy, laughter, and great insights to our conversations. I have so many wonderful memories with you from backpacking trips to mountain lakes to living room conversations. You will be so greatly missed.
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David
8/1/2020 12:52:08 pm
Where do I begin with Tony? What an incredible man. I met Tony at the end of 2010 in Waco. He was an encourager to his core. He was hilarious. During our year long training school together he would write notes in my binder when I wasn't paying attention. I would find them in my binder, sometimes days later.
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Alexis Christensen
8/1/2020 01:08:28 pm
Tony was a guide, a safe place, an advocate, and a community builder. I will never forgot our lunch time book club in North Waco, debating issues of economic development, faith, and justice. He taught me more about organizing during those lunch breaks than any class I ever took.
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Sara Cox
8/1/2020 01:17:55 pm
Tony was such an incredible combination of joy, humor, passion, and a focused drive for justice in our broken world. I feel so lucky to have been blessed by conversations in community group and hikes with the two of you. The last time we saw Tony was your trip to Bend and I remember feeling like I was seeing the beauty of nature around us with new eyes after experiencing the way he appreciated the outdoors. We miss you Tony
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Amanda Shettleroe
8/1/2020 03:30:47 pm
Tony. My heart hurts at the thought that you are no longer with us. There was such a vibrancy you brought with you wherever you went. All those life groups, hangouts, conversations, jokes, bickering over the best way to make spaghetti, that awful mustache you refused to shave, so many memories to treasure. I wish I could have one more conversation and hug. I miss you dear friend. Bethany, praying for God’s peace and comfort and nearness.
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Rachel Svrchek
8/1/2020 07:05:47 pm
Dear Tony,
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Kelly
8/1/2020 08:21:18 pm
Tony was such a passionate, and charismatic person and I always respected how hard he worked to make a difference in this world. He never met a stranger and had a gift of making everyone feel valued and heard. I will always remember fondly my memories of him in both Waco and Portland, my favorite of which was going camping with Bethany and Tony and being the third wheel in the small tent with them. He was patient with my slow pace and general fear of bugs/snakes. He is a light that will be deeply missed. I take comfort knowing that there are no more struggles or pain for him, only peace and rest. 💔
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Ford Savage
8/1/2020 08:35:08 pm
You were like my brother from another mother and I miss you!!!! I love how you could be so serious and so passionate and also so fun and so goofy. I admire you, I love you and I miss you!
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Matt Gray
8/1/2020 10:48:09 pm
Tony and I were MURP classmates and we worked together closely along with four others on our 6-month final project. He brought energy, connections, know-how, and so much more to our team. He was a natural leader who lifted others up and encouraged them to do their best. Tony was someone who used his skills and energy for good and saw the potential in others. I will miss running into Tony on the bus, his playful sense of humor, and his selfless drive to transform the system from the inside to benefit others. I am forever inspired by who he was and he will undoubtedly live on in memory for many as a role model for the kind of person to strive to be. Our time knowing each other was short but Tony made a positive impact on me that will last forever. I hope he knew how important he was to all of us.
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Stephanie Lonsdale
8/3/2020 02:04:12 pm
Well said, Matt. He will live in our hearts as a revolutionary. Sending you comfort and strength, my friend.
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Lisa Slavovsky
8/2/2020 06:45:26 am
I did not know Tony well, but Bethany was a dear friend during her time in Cambodia. I remember her excitement in meeting Tony when they were dating, the joy of virtually joining their beautiful wedding from Cambodia, and then having the chance to hang out with both Tony and Bethany in Texas and Oregon on a few occasions. I was struck with how quickly Tony made anyone in his presence feel like a friend. That we could laugh together and talk about topics of depth within hours of knowing each other. While I haven’t been in touch in a few years, the passion of Bethany and Tony for racial and social justice, authentic faith, and beauty in nature exuded from social media posts, and I have often been strengthened and uplifted from afar. So many prayers and so much love to all who are grieving right now.
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Erin
8/2/2020 08:22:52 am
Tony was light, joy, hilarity, and friendship to me, and I can’t believe he’s gone. I haven’t spoken to him in years, but his acceptance of others, understanding of people’s circumstances, fiery anger for justice and for those he loved are things that I’m sure were part of him even till the end. You are loved, Tony, and you will be missed.
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Brynn
8/2/2020 11:24:35 am
Tony,
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Barton
8/3/2020 09:05:45 am
Tony, I miss you so much. My favorite thing about you was how quick you were to cut through small talk and dive into deep, real-life conversations. The first time we met, we decided to ditch a conference halfway through to go on a walk and get to know each other more, and from that conversation on I knew that I could always count on you to be 100% real with me and not shy away from any heavy stuff. In the past couple of years, we bonded over regular lunches, talking through work, faith, sobriety, and relationships. There was never any BS at all, just a deep commitment to each other that always left me feeling connecting and refreshed. I'm going to miss your perspective, your smile, and your friendship so, so much.
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Bob
8/3/2020 10:30:02 am
Tony,
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Stephanie Lonsdale
8/3/2020 11:20:02 am
My buddy,
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Al Burns
8/3/2020 11:34:58 am
Tony and I enjoyed each others company at work, we were both from the south, both owned the same type of hound dog, and were assumed when he discovered that I went to high school with his wife’s parents and he showed up at work with a picture of my 16 year old self copied from their yearbook.I will miss Tony very much.
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Neil
8/3/2020 03:01:01 pm
I wish I had the chance to tell you this, but you were the bright spot in my day, more days than you could probably imagine. I'm going to miss the jokes, the serious convos, the inspiring moments, and everything else. Wearing a turtleneck will never be the same without you here. Rest in power, Tony.
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Adam V
8/3/2020 04:16:20 pm
I enjoyed Tony’s company A LOT! We both shared an intense passion for the outdoors and collage football. He was incredibly stubborn, competitive and a complete joy to compete with or against. At the end of the day, he certainly had a soft heart and would do anything for those he chose to give himself to. We had many future hikes planned that will never be realized, but I will always think of Tony whenever I set foot in any wilderness. I know he suffered for so long. I wish I could’ve taken some of that pain off his plate. I miss my friend and I love you Bethany. My sincere condolences to you and your family. Shannon and I are here for you for whatever you want or need.
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Francesca
8/3/2020 04:58:42 pm
Tony and I met in 2015 when I recruited him to serve on our Portland Bureau of Transportation's Growing Transit Communities Plan advisory committee. He was the Director of Economic Development at the Rosewood Initiative non-profit and the project I was working on included the Rosewood area of the city and looked at how to make it safer and more convenient for people to get to and from the bus. I remember being surprised after exchanging emails with him, when he showed up to the meeting and I met him in person the first time. Here was this young, vibrant, intelligent and positive person! After one particular meeting where he did more talking than usual, he confided to me afterwards that it's because he went somewhere between work and the meeting and had a beer with some friends first. I knew I wanted to be his friend.
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Mary Benedetto
8/4/2020 07:53:55 am
When I think about Tony, I remember that he was the first person in the MURP program who straight up argued with me, which was delightful. He also ended up being the person that I sat in the most hours of classes next to, from being 2 of the 4 people in numerous econ dev classes to the only MURPs taking real estate finance, I turned up to class after class each quarter to find myself sitting next to and working with Tony, first unintentionally and then quite intentionally. I remember meeting him at the mall for a project, and later him shouting down our professor (one of many) for his old white man views. Classic. Tony was as naturally outgoing as I am naturally introverted, and in sitting next to each other in class after class he was quite literally the only reason I ever spoke out loud in class. He often volunteered me to give my opinion, usually after writing all over the margins of my notebook. He couldn't understand how I could let some of the stuff our professors said slide, and encouraged me to step up more to counter them. Sometimes when he was tired of being the arguer in our classes he would give me the face or literally elbow me into taking up his argument. He was the first person who truly made me believe that my opinions on urban planning were worth voicing out loud, and for that I could never repay him. I greatly admired that he was doing the real work--he was invested in a community and a place in a way that most of our peers (and certainly I) were not. When I have written on issues of social and racial justice in the last years I often hear him still whispering in my ear, taking apart the arguments and reconstructing them. Like everyone, I will miss his kindness, his generosity to others with his time (so much time spent explaining the world to others), his sense of humor, that wicked grin he would give before he would turn to the professor and say "I think Mary has something to say", the energy he could light up a room with when he was on, his vision, and the belly laughs we had at the absurdity of the world. Rest in power Tony, I hope you have found peace. My deepest condolences to all of his family.
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Hanna
8/4/2020 09:40:22 am
In Islam, we have three days to mourn those we love after their passing. I spent those days reflecting on my connection to Tony. I feel heartbroken and saddened by the passing of such a great friend and colleague that I was blessed to have met in February. I can’t describe the immense love he poured into dismantling racism and white supremacy from inside the system.
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Timur Ender
8/5/2020 04:48:02 pm
Tribute to Tony Lamb
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Sabina
8/6/2020 12:09:15 pm
My first memory of Tony is sometime at the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018. Professors at PSU had found a way to send about 17 students from the Urban and Regional Planning graduate program to Chicago for a conference about public policy and racial justice, and they had us get together before and after the conference to deepen the experience. We were in a classroom with notoriously stuffy air and the lethargy that settles over a group of sleep-deprived people sitting down to do more or less the same thing, day after day. On one of the first meetings, everyone went around the room saying what drew them to equity work. I’m sure classmates had well thought-out, motivated responses. But I don’t remember what anyone in the room said. Except Tony. When speaking passed around to him, he said, “Justice for my people,” a statement that came from his whole body. It made people, myself included, sit up. He further explained that for him, the work starts in the Black community. The work is for Black lives. The benefits of this work reaches far, and it starts with justice for Black people and communities.
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Michael Bittle
8/9/2020 09:10:15 pm
I met you both only one time at McMenamins Edgefield, exchanged Facebook stuff or whatever. But what I remember clearly is that I had a sense of "these are the kind of people I want to surround myself with." There was joy, love, and kindness in you. The type that gives because it's right, it's unconditional, and it's meant to be shared. Know that your and his kindness, love, and passion are being spread. Your and Tony's work hasn't stopped.
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Katie Howe
8/28/2020 06:48:22 am
It has taken me a while to sit down and write this, as writing is not my easiest form to communicate such big things. But, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about Tony, the memories he leaves behind, and Bethany, my dear friend who has so faithfully walked with him, and loved him and supported him.
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Meesa
9/6/2020 08:43:39 pm
I only knew Tony through monthly meetings at PBOT's BBAC Committee, but he still had an impact on me. I am a quiet person by nature, more of a listener than a sharer so I rarely speak up in groups.Tony always made sure multiple people and viewpoints were heard at meetings and he made me, and other Committee members like me, feel safe enough to speak. He was always very kind to me and truly listened when people were sharing their thoughts and ideas. He had a gentle way during meetings of keeping us focused on what was important and opening our mind to new ways of thinking. I wish I had gotten to know him better, or to at least have thanked him for his leadership and kindness. I hope I can use my experience of knowing him and his strength to help me speak up more for good. Thank you, Tony.
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