Tony R. Sanchez

1949 - 2023

BORN

1949

DIED

2023

Tony Sanchez Obituary

Tony Richard Sanchez, 73, of San Jose, passed away on September 21 after battling illnesses for several months. Tony was born on November 19, 1949 in Santa Clara, California. After growing up on a prune orchard on Homestead Road, he attended Buchser High School where he was student body president. He then attended Stanford University where he earned a degree in film studies and served as a university disc jockey. After graduating, Tony moved to New York City, which kickstarted an international modeling career, highlighted by multiple magazine covers, including GQ. In Tony's midlife, one of many interesting paths took him to the real estate industry in West Hollywood and the hospitality business of Miami Beach. For the last 23 years of his life, Tony returned home to the Bay Area where he immersed himself in family, friends, and work at Barnes and Noble. Tony's passions included: film (SAG member), Broadway, literature, Stanford, staying fit, fashion, the Forty-Niners, and supporting his LGBTQ community. Tony was predeceased by his parents, Tony and Stella Sanchez, numerous cousins, and his beloved dog, Jasper. He is survived by his older brother and sister-in-law, Bob and Judy Sanchez, a family of nieces and nephews who fondly called him UT, and a large network of close friends. Each of them looked forward to his regular phone calls, spicy stories, and big laughs. They will miss his adventurous spirit, quick wit, and warmth. A celebration of his life will be held on his birthday weekend in November.

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Published by Mercury News on Oct. 1, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Tony Sanchez

Sponsored by San Jose Mercury News.

6 Entries

Laura Thomas

September 25, 2024

It was an honor to have known you. Miss you.

Alene de la Houssaye

September 25, 2024

Still missing you Tony!

Laura Thomas

October 30, 2023

You made us smile, laugh, think, learn, share and bloom. Thank you for joining us on this mortal coil. Please continue to soar.

Paul B

October 11, 2023

"And you want to travel with him, and you want to travel blind
And then you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind. "
(Suzanne - Leonard Cohen)

Tony,

It´s been 25 years since we´ve been `family.´ It seems that whenever your family was asking about me, that my family was asking about you, whether together at birthday parties in Florida or California, to attending weddings or Bachelor parties in Canada or Switzerland, you were like another of my siblings. We celebrated landmarks like my 30th through your 70th.

You were bigger than life, we met during your Miami Beach era, I adored you, and found you more handsome than you ever were from your GQ years, that tall, fit, silver templed 48 year old, I was 28: I changed countries and moved in almost immediately, never regretting nor making that decision with anyone else before or since. It was never clear when we shifted from partners, to roommates, to brothers, divided physically only by where our occupations took us, or the needs of our families of origin. There was never a discussion of where we stood with each other, the `Family Schngms´ remained steadfast.

I am honoured as one of the lucky ones to have remained one of your close friends. We all knew of your unconditional love for us. You´d drop anything to make plans to see or talk to one of us anytime, no matter where we were in the world, you just needed us to say yes. What a gift it was to have someone like that in this world, that attention and reverence for each one of us, you were a force of good. Life is rich if it has just one or two people like you in it.

I thought we had more time, more wobbly ceilings and walls to look at during FaceTime, more dishwasher loads I could do while you were digging for a movie reference of actors I´d never heard of to clarify a point I just made, or how you would glare at me right now if you were here as I just said that; oh how I miss that now. I, like your other dear friends and family are heartbroken. That silent phone is unbearable. At least at times it seems that your voice has moved into my head, and when I forget the pain it is quite sweet.

As Stella said,
"Love you more."

Paul, aka ,´The Schngms Galore´

Daniel Trimbach

October 5, 2023

Always looking great!

Alene de la Houssaye

October 2, 2023

"Dance Me to the End of Love"
-Leonard Cohen

Tony Richard Sanchez
11-19-1949 to 9-21-2023

My longest dearest pal died last week.
From the age of 10 we shared our lives-from the most
significant to the most insignificant parts.
We attended elementary, middle, and high school
together, growing up during an iconic time in the
Santa Clara Valley soon to become Silicon Valley.
He was a bright student body president
who went on to Stanford while I was at SJSU,
After college we arrived in NYC a day apart- as planned.
We took on NYC at the height of the 70´s and 80´s -
When the city was accessible, welcoming, dangerous and FUN!
Tony adored Theater and Film-
He took me to see Donna Summer at Roseland in 1976,
A Chorus Line at the Public, Hamilton, Pacific
Overtures - and everything he thought I "had" to see.
We danced at Studio 54, the Saint, the Roxy and other
infamous clubs that I would have never set foot in without him.

He was a fixture at every important family occasion:
He was a family Godfather and a
"Member of the Wedding" in both our daughter´s
marriages. He was a partner in our restaurant,
Texarkana, and a wonderful dancing partner.
He bought me my first pair of designer jeans
and never returned from a modeling trip overseas
without marvelous tales and a sweet souvenir.

Over the past ½ a year, we spoke almost daily, reflecting and treasuring
Tales of shinier days. I saw him last in July and I talked to him the night before left this realm.
I visualize him still skimming across the Ocean of Life, as he once shared
with me and others, his fabulous journey of experiencing and
searching for Life´s meaning.
Tony, I am glad you are no longer suffering and I truly believe
you are at Peace and among us.

Please Tony, I am waiting for a sign.