Tony Sousa

TONY SOUSA Tony Sousa, of Red Bluff, CA, died in a tragic accident on August 6, 2023, at 55. Tony was a loving husband, father, and friend to many. The family is saddened and stunned by the accident. Tony was doing what he loved, fulfilling his lifelong dream of being a pilot. Tony had many chapters of his life. He was a dairy worker, Outlaw Kart salesman, custom harvester, helicopter pilot, and avid waterskier. Tony was passionate and determined to live out his dreams to be the best. He won multiple Outlaw Kart Open Championships over his racing career. He loved mentoring young drivers in the sport of kart racing. After becoming a pilot, he became a flight instructor and developed future pilots. In his latest adventure, Tony was pivotal in implementing the Cal Fire Helicopter Coordinator (HLCO) training program, which started in 2022. He was the first Night Vision Goggles qualified HLCO pilot (qualified by Cal Fire). He trained and mentored a massive brotherhood of fellow aviators to provide the HLCO service to the State of California. Tony is survived by his wife Rachelle, sons Connor and Carson, father Ed Sousa, mother Sharon Lundahl, and an abundance of family, co-workers, and friends. A small procession from AirShasta to Red Bluff will be held late on August 17updates to be provided on Tony Sousa Memorial Facebook Group. The Celebration of Life will be held at Tony's happy place on the waterski lake, 8301 HWY 99E, Gerber, CA, on August 25 at 6 p.m. Words cannot express the hero we lost, how much he will be missed, and how much he impacted so many lives. The family wants to thank everyone for the outpouring of support. The family is mourning the loss of the other families that lost heroes. A GoFundMe account has been set up by employees at AirShasta: Honoring the Legacy of Tony Sousa: https://gofund.me/189c4e73. This fund will be used for future scholarships and a memorial event that will be announced in the future. Memorial T-shirts for the fallen heroes can be found at: https://patriotprovisionsco.com.