Tony Fox

Hola gang!  I’ve just spent about two unsanctioned hours here at work reading all of the bios on this site and I’ve gone through the entire emotional spectrum.  From laughing hysterically to balling my eyes out, it’s really amazing how much can happen in people’s lives in just 20 short (in some cases, long) years.

First and most importantly, I just want to share my condolences with Michelle and Tony Hinsley on the loss of their beautiful daughter Emily.  I’m so sorry for your loss Michelle, and blessed that you shared her with me, if even through emails and through her website.  My years at the Ronald McDonald House Charity in Denver taught me that nobody is exempt from the devastating effects of cancer.  Michelle, your letter to Emily was – like Emily - absolutely beautiful!  God bless you and yours – we’ll miss you at the reunion but of course you’ll be on the minds of many.

I’m going to skip all of the gory, boring details about my life and just hit on the more memorable and poignant parts.  I really liked Josie Melvin’s bio format so I’m going to employ an adapted version:

1988 – enrolled at UNM, joined a frat at a party one night with Dave Schillaci and Kurt Schlieter (who later bailed and joined SAE, bastard.)  I also shared a dorm room with Travis Brown.

1989-93 – screwed around and finally got a degree in, well, let’s just say I’m great at bullshitting with people.

1993 – graduated UNM and moved to Leadville, Colorado where I took a job at a small hospital as the Marketing Director.  Mostly I just skied and ate a lot of mushrooms….the legal kind of course.

1994 – got a weekend job as a Snowcat Ski Guide on Chicago Ridge at Ski Cooper. 

1995 – competed in my first Leadville Trail 100, a 100 mile mountain bike race over 5 mountain passes with a total vertical climb of 15,000 feet.  Would do it again in 2006.

1996 – won the Colorado State Ski Joring Championships.  Don’t know what ski Joring is you say?  Goto www.nasja.com

1997 – moved to Denver and got a job at the Ronald McDonald House Charities.  Learned the meaning of life…literally.

1998 – won my second Colorado State Ski Joring Championship title and saw Pat Hanks up at the National Finals Ski Joring Championships in Red Lodge, Montana!

1999 – won my third Colorado State Ski Joring Championship and my first North American Ski Joring Association (NASJA) world title.

2000 – broke my hand in five places skiing behind a horse….go figure!

2001 – discovered my love of winemaking and decided to move back to New Mexico.  Got a job with the LANL Foundation as Program Officer, where I now manage the second largest scholarship fund in the state, which is ironic because I was in the 50% of our class that lowered the curve academically.

2002 – bought a house in White Rock and made my first batch of wine.  Joined a local winemaker on a part-time basis and began making wine commercially.

2003 – married a lovely gal named Suzette who I met in Colorado on New Year’s eve, just 15 minutes before the clock struck midnight in 2000. 

2004 – my beautiful daughter Lily was born on June 15th and changed my world.  To look into my child’s eyes and see my own reflection brought me to my knees.

2005-2008 – still making lots of wine and playing lots of poker!

I have to agree with Jamie Aslin who said a lot of classmates either never left Los Alamos or like me, returned after realizing that this place isn’t so bad.  I’ve traveled the world to ski and sightsee and I’m perfectly happy to still Los Alamos home.  I’m grateful to have my old best buddy Travis Brown and his beautiful family here in town, and occasionally I’ll catch Vance Boone tearing up the pool table or, more recently, the poker table.  I run into Felicia Archuleta, Jeff Dare, Travis Ireland and others at the grocery store or the bank.  I see David Creamer at Metzger’s occasionally and every now and then I’ll catch Rocky Polk running the show over at Polk Oil (congrats on your beautiful little baby by the way!) 

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you again, and if you’re not able to attend but would like to say hola, I can be reached at tfox@lanlfoundation.org.