Anthony "Tony" R. Aguirre

Anthony R. Aguirre (Tony) passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2026, shortly after his 88th birthday. Tony was born January 13, 1938, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where his father Antonio Aguirre managed a business. Tony’s mother Marjorie Kay Aguirre was American. Tony and his two brothers attended St. Andrew’s Scots School. Some of his fondest memories growing up were of sailing on the River Plate, attending the Caledonian Ball and dance parties with his high school friends at their homes.

After high school, Tony was the first of his siblings to move permanently to the United States. He attended the University of Washington in Seattle, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry and served in the National Guard; he later received a master’s degree in biochemistry. While working analyzing the composition of concrete, he realized that he “didn’t want to spend his life watching cement dry.” He then earned a master’s degree in library science.

While in Seattle, he met his future wife, while checking out a book from an attractive undergraduate working the circulation desk at the University Library. Janice Koss and Tony were married in 1963 and went on to have two children, Justine and Anthony.

Tony credited Librarianship with providing him a fulfilling life long career. He worked at the University of Connecticut’s Medical Library, served as the Director of the Philadelphia College of Physicians Library, and later joined the University of Columbia Medical Library, where he did early work in development of medical informatics systems. He and Janice moved to Ann Arbor, MI over 30 years ago, where he served as Director of the Taubman Medical Library at the University of Michigan, until his retirement.

Throughout life and into retirement, Tony had a wide range of interests, from astronomy to history. He was a “foodie” before it was a trend, never missing an episode of Julia Child or Jacques Pepin on PBS and he was always on the prowl for a new recipe. Tony also loved photography, model building, and bookmaking. He held a particular passion for the ancient Maya, traveling to attend multiple academic conferences as well as historical sites in Mexico. He also enjoyed reconnecting in later years with his roots in Latin America. He is remembered for his voracious reading, love of musicals, and reserved but warm personality.

Tony is survived by his wife Janice, children Anthony Aguirre and Justine Aguirre Young, grandchildren Tristan and Zander Aguirre, and siblings Richard Aguirre, Robert Aguirre, and Marta Eldridge.

Tony's love of history (and cataloging) led to a close connection with the Clements library (clements.umich.edu); in lieu of flowers, a donation in his name to the library would be welcome.