Tony Fernando Valdez

Born April 5th, 1956, Tony grew up in Tucson, Arizona with his parents and three sisters. Like many Tucsonans, Tony grew up supporting the U of A Wildcats, and it was at a party after a Wildcat football game that Tony first asked out his wife-to-be, Mary Anne. Tony and Mary Anne were married on June 3rd, 1978. In their 40 years of marriage, Tony and Mary Anne lived life to the fullest, always embracing the mantra “Life is Good”. They filled their years together dancing, enjoying wine and food, travelling across Europe, and watching their children and grandchildren grow.

In his life, Tony had many passions. As a successful businessman, Tony, along with Mary Anne, co-founded both the Twenty-One Tech Company (1997) and T.F. Valdez Construction Supply (2003). Always one to prioritize relationships in business, Tony developed countless friendships in his decades of sales. His dedication to education above selling earned him a reputation of integrity and knowledge.

Tony also loved baseball, especially coaching. The last 20 years of his coaching career were as a part of the South Chandler Baseball Club (SCBC), a team primarily composed of future Hamilton High School students. In his 20 years as head coach, Tony lead the 14U SCBC team to 11 state championships and two Babe Ruth World Series titles (2007, 2009). Despite him always saying that he was “not there to make any friends”, players and parents were drawn to him, and Tony developed numerous friendships that carried on long past his tenure as coach. For his dedication to the game he was honored by the Chandler Sports Hall of Fame (2015) and will be posthumously inducted into the Babe Ruth Pacific Southwest Region Hall of Fame. Always a stern mentor, Tony brought out the best in his players, both in the game and in life.

But of all things, Tony’s greatest love was his family. He got so much pride and joy out of seeing his children and grandchildren strive for success in school, sports, extracurriculars, and life. No matter the distance or time, he would do whatever it took to spend time with and be there for his family. He is survived by his wife, Mary Anne; his three sons, T.J. (Debbie), Steven (Jacqueline), and Shawn; his eight grandchildren, Xavier, Kira, Lucas, Audrey Rae, Braxton, Charlotte, Cameron, and Trenton; his two sisters Virgie and Ida and many nephews, nieces, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his sister Elma, his father Fernando, and his mother Josephine.

While he will forever be remembered for his sense of humor and his strong work ethic, his true legacy will be his impact on those around him. He always took the time to talk with the warehouse worker, the receptionist, the CEO, or the 7-year-old with a baseball bat and glove at the park and he treated them all with the same respect. It was this ability to connect with people that helped him become the leader and mentor to so many people – in business, in baseball, and with his family.

Memorial services for Tony will be held on Friday, November 30th, 2018 at St Juan Diego Church, 3200 S. Cooper Rd, Chandler, AZ 85286. Rosary will be held at 9:30am followed by the funeral mass at 10:00am. A celebration of life will take place immediately following the services at Noah's Event Venue, 2100 E Yeager Dr, Chandler, AZ 85286.

The family requests that donations be made in Tony's name to either of the following charities (cut and paste the links into your browser address bar):

Tony Valdez Legacy Award and Scholarship, Hamilton High School -

Donate to the Tony Valdez Legacy Scholarship here:

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Stand Up To Cancer -

Donate to SU2C here:

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