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.
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About |
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| Name | Anthony (Tony) Lavern Barrett |
| Date of Death | February 12th, 2021 |
| Home Town | Dodge City, KS, US |
| Other City | Boise, ID, US |
| Interests | Skiing, Ham Radio, Flying planes, Inventing, Space Exploration, Travel, Technology, Photography, Bass Guitar, Snow-birding, Music, Watching TV, Pegs and Jokers, Romantic Comedies |
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Family |
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| Children | Brandon Barrett, Devin Avery |
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Milestones |
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| 1970 - 1973 | Boise High School | ||
| 1973 | Graduated High School | ||
| 1974 - 1976 | Boise State University, AS Electronics | ||
| 1974 - 2003 | Electrical Engineer, Hewlett Packard | ||
| 1978 | Married Wife Delora | ||
| 1981 | Son Brandon Born | ||
| 1983 | Daughter Devin Born | ||
| 1992 | Worked abroad in Italy (6 months) | ||
| 2015 | Granddaughter Indigo Born | ||
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published a tribute .
Was sad to hear this few years ago - Worked with him at HP - We all got our Radio license at same testing date - Tony, Fred (KB7GWU) and me (Pat N7MPS) - RIP Tony - I will miss you -
So sorry for your loss Delora - I met you, but perhaps do not remember - Pat - N7MPS
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published a tribute .
Vera and I lived across the street from Tony and Delora for many years until we leff Boise 1n 1995. A great neighbor.
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published a tribute .
I met Tony when I interned at HP late 1980’s. Looking back at that time, I can only remember one person clearly and that was Tony. During my short time there, Tony was a great mentor and teacher. He made me feel welcome, always was positive and had the messiest desk I have ever seen in my life. Remembering those days working at HP on the 2680 (EPOC) printer, learning from Tony and being part of HP culture brings a smile to face.
From it’s a small world department, I was able to work with Tony’s son Brandon at Rolls-Royce. The day we both realized that I worked with Brandon’s dad approximately 30 years earlier still makes me laugh since it was based on talking about Tony’s messy work desk.
Based on my friendship with Brandon, I was able to reconnect with Tony and meet his wife Delora for an evening for dinner, conversations and laughs. Additionally, my wife and two boys were able to meet someone who helped shape me as an engineer and a person.
Since that time, Tony and I shared a few e-mails. Looking back now, I wish I would have sent a few more.
I feel truly blessed to be able to spend time with Tony in the 1980 and again almost 30 years later. I also feel blessed to spend time working with Brandon.
Tony was one of a kind and I am extremely happy he was able to cross the path of my life twice.
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published a tribute .
Tony brought an incredible smile and change of attitude upon me l every time I saw his name come across my phone/email and ever time we got together. I met Tony at the Science Olymypiad my sophomore year at Boise State University. Still to this day I ask myself what he saw in me to build such an incredible friendship in me. His heart and soal went into that event as well the many many projects and techy inventions he had in the works whether at his home, trailer, flying...you name it. I am so grateful to have met Tony and learn from his long depth of knowledge and experiences. He was so caring and interested in my early growth in my engineering career, marriage and life activities. We had multiple 2 hour plus lunches, several Ski adventures, Warren Miller movie nights and many fun interactions. Tony had the answers I needed, he had the mentality to keep me motivated in my own personal projects that were in need of some serious guidance. Overall, Tony had the heart to be a friend you could count on. I am so blessed to have had Tony and Delora at my Wedding. In fact, he was the light of entertainment that evening. One of my favorite images of guests at our wedding was Tony starting the dancing train. Tony loved his family. He always spoke highly of them and always looked forward to his next adventure out to see them. He was a proud and happy engineer. I appreciate all the laughs and inspiration you brought me. Prayers and love to Tony and his Family.
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published a tribute .
Tony's insatiable curiosity and inquiring mind served him well in his professional career and personal pursuits. His enthusiasm, optimism, and positive attitude fueled a buoyant personality. He will be missed. My condolences to Tony's family.
published a comment .
Tony was always Tony:
Smiling; Enthusiastic; Considerate; Positive; Encouraging; Sharing; Quick to quip and comment; Epoc's greatest champion; Curious; Clever; Looked for better ways; Always an enjoyable focus in OFN gatherings; Enjoyed inventing things; Asked probing questions; Listened to everyone, Enjoyed discussions; Multimedia communicator; Stimulated conversations; Loved people and vice versa.misfortune
Tony was an HP and Idaho Gem.
I miss him, but will always savor memories of our 45 years of friendship. He was a special guy.
Best wishes and condolences to Delora and everyone in Tony's family.
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published a tribute .
So sorry to hear about Tony's passing. I got to know him in the 1990s after I transferred with HP from Santa Rosa CA to Boise in early 1993. We occasionally worked together during those times, but I got to know him better after retirement through the OFN (Old Farts Network - HP Boise retirees group.). His ever-curious mind was always up to something and he delighted the OFN with his demonstrations of stuff he had come up with. Because of this pandemic, I had no idea he was sick. RIP friend.
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See this just reinforces the bit about him avoiding crudeness. He never even mentioned what the group was named to me. He just called it the “Old Timers Club.” It’s funny I’m now learning he was censoring “the f-word.”
I noticed that too. Never knew what it was really called. lol. It was about the end of last summer when he finally had a doctor look at it, and by December things had really accelerated.
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published a tribute .
I worked off and on with Tony at HP, but I "worked" more often with him as a volunteer Ham radio operator on bike treks, Race to Robie and other events. He was ALWAYS smiling! He will be missed. Reast in peace.
Cheryl
KD7WAD
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published a tribute .
I am saddened to hear about Tony's passing. I worked with his sister Susan for a few years, and met Tony years later through ham radio. He had an exceptional engineering mind and I learned much about ham radio from him. Thank you for sharing details about his life. We were always so wrapped up in technical discussions that we never got around to talking about our lives.
Bob Willis, N7ZF
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published a tribute .
Tony was the quintessential engineer, always finding solutions to really difficult problems that many couldn’t even grasp. When he was working in EPOC he singlehandedly kept it moving for years till LaserJets could replace it. I still remember the day in 1989 when we moved from building 1 upper to building 5 upper. As usual Tony was way to busy to throw out the vast amount of “stuff” on his lab bench or even pretend to prepare for moving day. The moving day came and he just went down to shipping and came back with a 18” roll of packing cellophane. He just attached it to his desk and started running around his desk till it was completely cocooned. “All done!” Was all he said and sent his entire mass of wealth/junk/parts on to building 5. I think every engineer in 1 upper came over to see his desk that day! Still makes me laugh!
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I love this! Thank you for sharing. I had never heard that story, but I can totally picture it. Sounds just like him. Captures his spirit. Makes me smile.
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published a tribute .
Up until December 2019 I lived a stones throw from Tony and Delora’s home. I loved seeing them out walking together around the neighborhood but especially during the years when Tony would walk with Delora to work - often early in the morning when it was dark. I also walked to work and often would see Tony along the way. On one of those walks near the end of my career at HP he told me about the OFn and invited me to come. I will miss Tony. He was a great guy and one of the first people I got to know when I first joined HP. Delora, may God bless and comfort you and your family.
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published a tribute .
I'm already missing Tony. Wednesday (Mar 3) is another OFN meeting on Zoom and I expected Tony was going to be there and let us know how his courageous battle with cancer was going and that he was going to beat it. Every OFN meeting I went to, at Pastry Perfection or on Zoom, Tony was there, letting us in on his latest exciting project. I have never met anyone like Tony, always excited and so fun to be with.
For you old HPers, the Old Fart Network (OFN) meets the first Wednesday of the month on Zoom (9:30am MST, meeting ID is 978 8695 1703, Password is1234) and I'm sure there will be stories of being with Tony at this month's meeting.
You are welcome to join us this Wednesday at the OFN Zoom meeting, even if your connection with Tony isn't through HP.
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published a comment .
The HP OFN Zoom meeting can also be joined through this clickable link (no spaces):
https://zoom.us/j/97886951703?pwd=QlArYWc1aUM1UGRrMTZoVFRiajZLQT09
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published a tribute .
Tony and his tablet were the soul of OFN group. He was keen to show us the latest photo of one of us old farts from the good old days at HP. Always bubbly and a friend to us all, he will be sorely missed.
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published a tribute .
Tony Barrett was essentially the face of HP to me as a new employee in 1979. It has been mentioned that he was a tenacious and stellar contributor, and he was also frequently a contrarian offering a well thought out different idea. He was generous with his time and he was indeed a friendly and cheerful figure in the workplace. I have the greatest respect for Tony and the fondest of memories of him. My heartfelt condolences to his family, and I will pray for you and for Tony. HP was lucky to have him as were we his co-workers. I’m so sad to hear of his passing. God rest his soul.
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published a tribute .
Delora and Barrett family, I was saddened to read of Tony's passing. We worked together for many years starting in 1975 when I arrived a green horn electrical engineer. Tony was a great team player and always had a smile and positive attitude. He would take on any assignment with energy and initiative. I'm praying for your peace and comfort from the Prince of Peace and that his memory will stay fresh and alive for years to come. And, thank you for sharing the pictures.
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published a tribute .
I first met Tony at HP in summer 1975. I was working in 7970 tape drive manufacturing and Tony always had ideas on how to do things better. He always had great ideas and I enjoyed talking with him and working with him. He was always a bundle of energy! We went different directions at HP, but would always talk whenever we would run into each other. Years later he welcomed me into OFN. He was a really nice person and I'll miss him.
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published a tribute .
My condolences to Tony's family. I'm so sorry to hear this news. I worked with Tony at HP on a variety of products over the years. He was one of the most passionate people I've met, always vocal when he felt strongly about something, logically stating his case. I'm especially glad I bumped into him last year while shopping at Hobby Lobby and having the chance to hear what he'd been up to. He spoke about living in a warmer climate in a RV, the relaxing fun times he and his wife were having, and he spoke with a big smile as he shared this. He was a wonderful human being. God bless.
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published a tribute .
Our condolences to Delora and Tony’s family. Tony refused to give up. He will be greatly missed for his friendship, skills, and intellect. Thank you for an exceptional tribute!
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published a tribute .
Tony was such a sweet, unassuming man. Those who knew him don't need to be reminded of what a special human being he was. There are so few like him among us! We met him through the Digital Lunch group, and looked forward to spending time with him and the rest of the group each month.His smile is etched in our memory.
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published a tribute .
I knew Tony through the Digital Lunch Forum. He was always upbeat, generous with his time and technical skills, and radiated kindness.
My condolences to Delora, Brandon, Devin, Hans & and Indigo. You were blessed to be treasured by him on his journey through this life.
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published a tribute .
I worked with Tony for many years at HP. He was a brilliant man who always had a smile for you. I will miss seeing him when we are able to have our next HP Get Together
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published a tribute .
I met Tony at HP when I started working on the EPCO project. Tony was always very compassionate, hardworking person, and a brilliant engineer. Tony always had a positive attitude and I do remember when he would use the term "Those Turkeys". You would find Tony and Delora at the picnics and parties held by HP and they always had time to visit with me and my husband. We visited a few years back at the Idaho Botanical Gardens concert where another HP engineer was playing in a band. Tony still had that great smile when he talks to you even though we had not seen each other for several years. My heart goes out to Delora and the family during this very difficult and sad time. Sending prayers to you all.
published a comment .
Thank you for sharing Tony's amazing life story. I was so blessed to have known him. He was a wonderful man, husband, son , brother, father, friend....keep all the wonderful memories alive!
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published a tribute .
Thank you for sharing his story with us. And for sharing him with the HP family. His sideways smile, his always positive attitude, still makes me smile. I was honored to know him and have crossed paths for many years. Gone too soon
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published a tribute .
I moved from California to Idaho to be able to work at HP. I always enjoyed working with Tony at HP. He was always very helpful and patient answering my questions. I was so sorry to hear his passing. I am sending many prayers to the family.
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published a tribute .
It is now more than 30 years since I met Tony at HP. I was a mechanical engineer learning an entirely new job and Tony always had time for my questions. He lived and worked with inspiring energy, honestly and heart. My deepest condolences to his family.
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