Antonio Loza, Jr. (better known as Papa Tony), was welcomed into the world on August 21, 1937 to parents Antonio Loza and Lillie Flores Loza in McAllen, Texas. He would be the eldest of 6 children, who loved family above all else. Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley he attended Edinburg High School where he was a Bobcat through and through, acting as class president all four years and was voted Best All Around Athlete as a senior for excelling in basketball, football, and track.
After high school he attended Pan American University for 2 years and then joined the National Guard in 1958. He transferred from Texas to Fort Bragg in 1959 and served for 8 years, earning the rank of 1st Sargent before leaving service in 1966. While serving in California, Tony also began a career in finance at Ferguson’s in Santa Barbara. He would come to make Santa Barbara his home, working later at the Neal Fay Company, Jordanos, Bardex Corporation, and then finally Textron. He retired in 2007 after nearly 50 as an account/chief financial officer, He was beloved by all who knew him. and was known for his generosity, sarcasm, and sweet smile. He loved being a dad and papa, and enjoyed spending as much time as possible with family and friends, whether cruising in the Caribbean of cheering from the sidelines at a game. He passed away peacefully on June 7 due to complications from Alzheimer’s. He is survived by his wife of 46 years and the love of his life Susie (Lasher) Loza; his children Debbie Loza, and Staci Patterson (Matthew); his grandchildren Nicho (Alanah), Gabe (Sarah), Karlise, Tanner, Samuel, McKenzie, Zachary, Bennett, Kendall, Joy, and Camden, and great-grandson Elijah. The family would like to thank Santa Maria Hospice for their incredible support in the last several week’s of Tony’s life. A celebration of Tony’s life will take place on Saturday, June 22 at 1:00 at Community Covenant Church in Goleta.
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