On June 29, 2019, the world lost a maverick, a dreamer, entrepreneur and inventive genius. Tony Ray Damron embraced a life of daring and risk, never shying away from a challenge.
Everything Tony did was bigger and bolder. He worked hard and played harder with fast toys, whether horses, go-carts, motorcycles, or boats, he enjoyed them all. And instilled that love of adventure into his four children.
Tony loved cars, especially his '57 Chevy and a litany of Corvettes. He once owned and drove a Model A truck, happily waving at smiling and honking passersby as his young children sat mortified in the back.
His love of cars extended to stock car racing in his youth, his most notable car the Ruby Begonia. His favorite part? The beautiful women handing him the trophy and giving him victory kisses at the podium.
Tony Damron truly was a creative genius and successful inventor. With only a high school diploma and graduating high school early because of his intelligence, he designed the world's first self-contained hydraulic loader.
After running off a bevy of college educated engineers that said it couldn't be done, Tony successfully invented exactly what he envisioned. In his lifetime, he saw his invention used worldwide in numerous ways, such as logging, marine and waste management facilities.
He loved his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his wife and care-taker Diana Damron. Tony was predeceased by his beloved daughter, Corrie Michelle Damron, and is survived by his daughters, Patricia Wyckoff and Monica Kimbrough, as well as his son, Tony Damron.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made by visiting the American Parkinson Disease Association at apdaparkinson.org
Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, Howard Avenue in Biloxi, was honored to help serve this family.