Anthony Gene Mayr

January 9, 1937 - October 4, 2018

Anthony Gene Mayr, “Tony,” 81, passed away the morning of Thursday, October 4 in Red Bluff, California of age-related natural causes. Tony was in good spirits and surrounded by family and friends in the days leading up to and at the time of his passing. A graveside service will be held at 10:30 am on Monday, October 22 at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Corning. A reception at the El Camino Methodist Church will follow. Born January 9, 1937 in Kerman, California to Hugo and Alice Mayr, Tony spent most of his life in the Red Bluff, El Camino/Gerber, and Chico areas. After growing up on a family farm and graduating from Red Bluff High School, he went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force in Europe from 1955-1958. His travels sparked a lifelong love of learning languages, and he was proud of his fluent Spanish and engagement with Mexican-American culture. He also dabbled in studies of German, Italian, and Latin. Tony earned a BA from California State University, Chico in French. He went into the auto-body fender trade and started a family with Joyce Drinkwater, with whom he had his first child, son Vince. In 1972 he married Nancy Alderson and worked in Washington while she finished school. Living on Puget Sound allowed him to indulge in his love of fishing and boats, which he also enjoyed restoring. He moved to Oregon in 1975 with Nancy and Vince, and attended the University of Oregon in Eugene to earn a BA with a Spanish major and a teaching degree. For three years he taught Spanish at the small Burns High School in Oregon, where his daughter Martha was born. He and his family moved to Chico, where his treasured youngest daughter, Abby, was born. He became a sought-after auto-body man, known for his precision restoration work. He operated his own shop for a time, when not working at other shops in town. His work was popular with Volkswagen aficionados and a Karmann Ghia he restored made the cover of Hot VW magazine. Beyond cars, boats, and even tractors, Tony was known for being able to fix anything in his own unconventional way and he was always tinkering at something. When he wasn’t working on a project, he loved heading to the mountains or the coast to camp and fish. Tony’s knack for teaching also ran throughout his life. In the Air Force he taught typing at night school, he taught high school Spanish, and for many years he gave language lessons to friends. He also wrote creatively and leaves behind several unpublished short stories, including two novellas. After raising his daughters, Tony spent some years traveling again, often to Mexico, before settling in Red Bluff and marrying Ana Gomez. In addition to auto-body work, he devoted himself to his lifelong passion for music during these years. He was self-taught and played guitar, piano, harmonica, trumpet, fiddle, banjo, and whatever other instruments he could get his hands on. At one point he duct-taped percussion instruments to his ankles while playing guitar and harmonica on racks, so he could be a one-man band. Tony played at get-togethers, nursing homes, and small venues, both in group and solo. He sang in choirs in high school and in churches throughout the decades. Through music, Tony connected with Phyllis Fox, with whom he lived in Los Molinos during the 2010s. Tony’s last years were spent collecting new friends in the Red Bluff Healthcare Center. His sense of humor, his warm smile, his charisma, and his music drew many close to him throughout his life. He was one-of-a-kind, popular with all, and eclectic in his interests and talents. He liked to get up in the very early morning before the world woke up to smoke, drink black coffee, and study, write, or practice music. Tony is survived by his three children, son Vincent Mayr and wife Leighanne, daughter Martha Mayr and husband Komoki Bunting, and daughter Abby Mayr and partner Brian Fugate; grandchildren Natalie Cardita and Alexander and Dominic Mayr, and Ella Bunting; and great-grandchildren Violet and Amelia Cardita. He is also survived by his five siblings: Mary Harrison, and Herbert, Alan, Robert, and James Mayr. In lieu of flowers or donations, friends and family are invited to attend the service or reception. Please honor Tony by keeping your favorite memory or song of his in your heart and sharing it with someone you love. The family wishes to thank Red Bluff Healthcare Center.