Tony died of cancer on 6 April 1996 in Beltsville, MD.  He is survived by his first wife, Suzanne Heap, and two daughters, Katy and Cecily, and three grandchildren. He was predeceased by a second wife, Lucy, and their son. He is also survived by his third wife, Kay, and their two sons, Paul and Adam.

Tony was born on 1 July 1934 in Los Angeles County, CA. Following graduation from Loyola High School in Los Angeles, he entered the Naval Academy and four years later, was commissioned in the Marine Corps. During his years in the Marines, Tony had three assignments overseas in Okinawa, Sasebo Japan and Vietnam. While in the United States, his assignments were primarily at Quantico, VA and Camp Pendleton, CA. After a career of twenty years in the Marines he retired in 1976 to pursue an entirely new vocation.

Tony enrolled in Mississippi State University and earned a Masters Degree in Soil Physics and a Doctorate Degree in Crop Physiology. In 1988, he became a faculty member of the University of Idaho. He remained in Moscow, Idaho until 1995 when he accepted a position with the U. S. Department of Agriculture and moved to Beltsville, MD.

Tony was interred with full military honors at Fort Rosecrans, CA.