Anthony Leonardo DeMichele

Anthony Leonardo DeMichele, age 76, of San Diego, CA and Homer, AK passed away on Friday, Aug 15, 2025 after a long valiant battle with lung disease due to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam. He was born on June 21, 1949 in Tucson, Arizona.

Tony was born with a beautiful soul! He loved people, family and friends, and went out of his way to help anyone who needed it. He loved the beauty, and respected the power of God’s world, a gift his mother Evelyn gave him. He had a natural and innate gift of knowing where he was and how to navigate to places he needed or wanted to go.

After growing up a California boy and graduating high school, Tony enlisted in the Army. After serving two tours in Vietnam, often behind enemy lines as a Forward Air Observer(JFO), Tony was honorably discharged and returned to California.

There he went out of San Diego on the long range tuna fishing boats, working at a moving company in the off season. Then he moved to Lake Tahoe, CA, worked in the restaurant industry, and applied his considerable carpentry skills to building things for people’s homes which included a deck for the then governor of NV.

Tony still searched for a place where he could find people who knew who they were and honored their word. He found it in Alaska(especially Homer) with its rugged beauty, strong sense of community and respect for nature. Tony honestly felt that Alaska saved his life.

He originally went to Ketchikan, working on the large commercial salmon trawlers. He gained quite a good reputation for his work there.

From there he went to Homer, where his heart stayed. He originally worked for some halibut charter companies. In 1986 he was the first winner of the 4 month long Homer Jackpot Halibut Derby which ran for 34 years.

Tony was a talented fisherman(a gift his father, Leonardo gave him) and skipper who loved the ocean and found peace on the high seas. Eventually he started his own business, Alaska Halibut Charters. He was the first from Homer to “go around the corner” and to the Barrens. He would come in with huge catches and other fisherman began to follow him. Skippering his own boats, the Sea Otter and Sea Otter II, he shared with his friends and passengers his incredible knowledge, love and passion for the unique Alaskan outdoors. This gave Tony true happiness and fulfilled his life.

Tony knew how to have fun, live life and utilize his many talents: fisherman, cook, fine carpenter and gardener were some. His greatest gift was his friendship. If you were his friend, he loved and cared for you, your family, your grandchildren, even your friends. And he was blessed with great friends!

Tony sent a note to his sister Easter 2018 that tells you who Tony was:

“Got your cute cards. Wishing you and Craig a Happy Easter! We are so blessed! The good Lord gives us everything we need, how can we ever re-pay him? Thank you Jesus! AMEN Love you lots, was my pleasure to spoil you. Your only brother, Tony Bear”

He is survived by his loving sister Greta, and his brother-in-law CAPT Craig Peterson USN(ret).