August 5, 1954 - June 8, 2021 Anthony (Tony) Gerard Specht is described as "the best dad and husband in the world" by all of his many friends and family in his hometown of La Mirada, CA, where he grew up with his parents, Robert and Mary Specht, his brother, Greg, and sister Mary Beth.
At an early age, Tony was encouraged to play Little League Baseball, and later, at 6'4", he became an ace left-handed pitcher, a phenom on the mound, eventually throwing two perfect games while playing varsity at Neff High School in the early 70's. Tony went on to pitch for Cerritos College, and after finally putting away his glove, he continued to support the Cal State Fullerton baseball program while cheering on the LA Dodgers and Anaheim Angels.
Tony had a sense of adventure and loved to listen to live music, especially The Grateful Dead.
After moving to Sebastopol in 1976 to work one season as a salmon fisherman, Tony returned to La Mirada to work as a pressman and floor supervisor for the LA Times for over 30 years.
In 1981, he met the love of his life, Lisa Henderson, at a Halloween party. They were married in 1986 and lived in La Habra until moving back to La Mirada in 2005.
At home, Tony often stayed up late to help Lisa prep materials for her kindergarten classes the next day. He was a loving and devoted husband to Lisa, and proud father to their daughter, Jordan, with whom he spent many wonderful days at Disneyland.
He enjoyed gardening and grilling dinners, especially on the 4th of July, his favorite holiday.
After working at the Times, Tony went to work at Splash! La Mirada Regional Aquatics Center, where he brought his unique sense of humor and worldly common sense to work with him everyday.
Tony could always be counted on to tell a funny (if not somewhat sarcastic) story, usually involving the perils of home improvement projects.
Everyone who knew Tony remembers his genuine and infectious smile.
Tony is survived by his wife Lisa, daughter, Jordan, brother Greg, sister Mary and father Robert (Bob).
A celebration of Tony's life will be announced at a later time. Friends will be encouraged to bring and share stories. In lieu of flowers, donations to a cancer-related charity can be made in Tony's name.
To plant trees in memory, please visit our Sympathy Store.
Published by Los Angeles Times from Jun. 16 to Jun. 27, 2021.
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