Anthony (Tony) Lavern Barrett

Tony Lavern Barrett passed away in his home after an eight-month battle with an aggressive cancer.

Born in Dodge City, Kansas in the mid-1950s, Tony was a child when his family relocated to Boise, Idaho in 1964. (Literally getting the Heck out of Dodge.)

Growing up, Tony's interests were in music, skiing, and electronics; he would often sneak off to the electronics lab during school assemblies. When HP first opened their doors in Boise, Tony was right there, eighth in line, and began his career as an electrical engineer.

He met his wife, Delora, on a trip to Mexico for high school Spanish students guided by his father, a high school Spanish teacher. Delora had fallen ill, and Tony was a chaperone assigned to look after her. Their first official date was seeing Star Wars in theater. Sometimes long-distance relationships do work out, and they were married the following year.

Tony was extremely hard-working, pouring almost all of his time and energy into his career, sometimes leaving less time for family. Still, he let his children know he was proud of them and supported them in their interests. After work, you'd find him on the couch playing Dr. Mario or watching the daily news, Star Trek, Frasier re-runs, or That 70's Show, with a cat curled up on his chest. He loved to snack on potato chips, chocolate chips, or a brick of cheese, chased with diet root-beer.

While his kids were still in the house, learning to ski was mandatory, and family ski trips were a favorite winter pastime of his. Music followed Tony everywhere he went— from the living room, to the car, to the slopes (where you'd catch him dancing in skis, whirling in step to the beat in his ears). Notable favorites were Harry Nilsson, Pink Floyd, Abba, The Cars, Huey Lewis and the News, Queen, Weird Al, and Steve Martin.

He had a smart sense of humor, choosing puns over crudeness. Tony wouldn't use swear words, instead referring to people who frustrated him as, "Those turkeys!"

In 1992, Tony accepted a six-month assignment in Italy and brought the whole family with him. He was always behind the viewfinder of a camera, but as we've sadly come to realize, rarely in the picture.

Tony liked surprising people using elaborate plans; he secretly bought Delora a Corvette for her 50th birthday, concealing it under a carefully engineered gift-wrapped box.

He volunteered crazy hours to help others and his community. Tony was a member of the Voice of Idaho (amateur radio club), providing communication support for the Boise River Festival, The Women's Bicycle Challenge, and Search and Rescue. He was also a member of Digital Lunch (photography club), the Corvette Club, and was a judge at the annual Student Science Olympiad. He was also a dedicated son to his elderly, ailing mother.

Tony was a man of strong moral character; he believed in doing the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing. He was non-judgemental, genuine, honest, and valued extreme fairness. He approached life with logical thinking, healthy skepticism, and self-determination.

Tony had an outward self-assuredness about his many idiosyncrasies, making him seemingly oblivious to criticism. He'd wear a Santa hat while skiing, even long after Christmas was over. He was a wearable technology fashion trail-blazer: fanny packs filled with batteries, bags upon bags of camera gear, accented with radio antennas. He got a kick out of things that others found plain obnoxious, such as musical birthday cards.

After his career with HP, Tony invented and sold a GPS gadget utilizing amateur packet radio: the Pocket Tracker, but his friends called it the “Tony Tracker.” Once retired, he worked towards getting his pilot’s license and bought a trailer so he and Delora could spend the winters in Arizona.

He had a brilliant mind, bursting with ingenuity; his many tech projects ignited a spark in him that gave him purpose. He loved creating workarounds and repurposing random parts, extending the lives of many household appliances. He liked to share his passions and was eager to engage his granddaughter (whom he doted over) with math and science.

Tony fought hard as his body betrayed him, eeking out every last bit of life he could. He is survived by his mother Carol Barrett, his sister Susan Scovel, his brother Patrick Barrett, his wife Delora Barrett, his son Brandon Barrett, his daughter Devin Avery, his son-in-law Hans Avery, and his granddaughter Indigo Avery.