Tony Guzman

Antonio Gutierrez Guzmán Jr., 85, of Phoenix, passed away on January 29, 2024.
Tony, as he was known to his family and friends, was born on January 27, 1939, to Antonio G. Guzmán Sr. and Margarita Chavarria Guzmán in Corpus Christi, Texas. As a youth, he studied piano and worked in his family's filling station while attending Corpus Christi College Academy. Even at a young age he was liked by everyone he met which was especially apparent when he went off to St. Mary's University in San Antonio. A consummate musician by that time, he spent many an evening sitting in with local jazz musicians throughout Texas playing his clarinet and saxophone - a time in his life he fondly remembered, frequently wowing the family with stories about his joyous escapades. After graduating with a degree in sociology from St, Mary's University, and a master's degree in psychology from Texas A&I, he became a probation officer which would eventually lead to a career with the federal government.
Marrying the love of his life, Mary Esther Flores in 1970, they had two children, daughter, Anjeanette, and son, Marc. They were married for 53 years.
Tony's government job took him all over the country and he and his family eventually settled in Phoenix, Arizona where they would live for the next 48 years.
Hardly a man to be characterized as single vision, Tony's interest in entrepreneurship, led him to own an import/export company (Pacific Group Intl). Add this to the fact that throughout their marriage, Tony and Esther enjoyed spending time playing tennis. So much so that they were on the inaugural committee of the Fiesta Bowl Junior Tennis Tournament which they would head for 8 years. In addition, he played in valley tennis leagues and volunteered coaching youth and high school tennis teams. A civic minded gentleman, Tony served as church council president at St. Louis the King Catholic Church in Glendale, AZ, a role which highlighted the depth and commitment he brought to everything he did.
Tony was predeceased by his father Antonio Sr., his mother Margarita and sister Maria. He is survived by his wife Mary Esther, daughter Anjeanette, son Marc (wife Alison), granddaughter Eilish, grandsons Andrew, Marc Robert, Brody, and Gage, sister Margaret, brother Luis (wife Phyllis), and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews whom he loved dearly.
Services will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2024, with a visitation beginning at 10 AM and Rosary beginning at 11 AM at Maxwell P. Dunne Funeral Service – MORGAN AVE. Services will continue with a Mass of Christian Burial at 1 PM at the Corpus Christi Cathedral and a committal service at 2:30 PM at Rose Hill Memorial Park.