Tony B’s Story

Tony Baron has been associated with the Alano Club for over 40 years. He was first a member, then a member of the Board of Directors after only one year of sobriety, and then within two years became the Club’s manager, a post he has held for most of the past 38 years. He first became involved with the Club while bartending at the Hyatt. As he says, “It was best for me to stay here at the Club and sit on my hands between meetings than to stay at the Hyatt between shifts.” Over the past 40 years, Tony has seen many well-established clubs cease to exist. “We’ve survived due to a caring Board that has been very active in our survival. During the early years of the Club we were quite inflexible about people who did more things than alcohol. We had to realize that drugs and alcohol are just symptoms of deeper problems.” Tony has a vision for the Club, “We need to create better use of the facility – give it more of a recovery community center standing. And we need to realize that many paths lead to the same destination.” Families turning their lives around, their children finding a better chance for a normal childhood; watching people who are lost in their addiction find a way back; seeing a growing respect for other 12 step recovery programs, and the beginning of Unity Day – these are some of Tony’s priceless memories. If Tony were to offer one piece of advice to a newcomer, it would be “Believe that you can do it, no matter how many times you have proven that you can’t. The 12 steps definitely work

July 4th, 2017 was a very special day here at the Alano Club as members observed Independence Day and celebrated the 44th Sobriety Birthday of Club Manager, Tony Baron.  A fund-raiser barbeque was held in the Serenity Garden with the chefs being our own kitchen chef, Angela Young, and her brother, Martin.

In October of 1976 Tony began working as the Club Manager after having served for about two years on the Board of Directors.  Tony came to A.A. in 1971 and had his last alcoholic drink on July 4th, 1973.  When asked “Why did you make this your last drink?” Tony responded, “I got tired of waking up in jail.  I received three DUIs in a two-week period.  That was the start of a Wake-up Call.  I started to think drinking might be a part of my problems.”

Born in Billings, Montana, Tony Baron’s family moved to Palo Alto when he was five years of age.  He has great, happy memories of his early childhood.  “I was treated very well as I was an only child.”  He says that in High School he had just three favorite subjects, “Drinking, Girls, and Cars. I wasn’t a very good student.”  Tony says he was a Quiet Student, and that he got his first pair of glasses at age five.  In the early 60’s he and about 150 other students graduated from his High School.

 “At age 11, my Father died in a local hospital.  He was 55.  This was back in the day that people would check-into a hospital for much needed rest.  The problem was that he just never came back out.

I now felt like that I had to become a Man.  I was angry, confused, and lonely – and Mom was very angry at the hospital.  I began smoking and drinking at age 11, right after Dad’s death.  I was able to quit smoking about 35 years ago.  When I quit, I was smoking close to five packs per day.  I would just light one cigarette off the other.”

Shortly after graduating from high school, Tony went into the Army.  He completed his service time in 1966 with the rank of E-4.  He was stationed in Okinawa for two years.  During his service time he got to see Hawaii and Japan.

“After my discharge, I began working at PG&E in Palo Alto as a meter reader.  Before starting as the Club manager in 1976, I had worked at jobs ranging from ambulance driver to carpenter to bartender.  I was B\bartender for both the Hyatt and LeBaron Hotels.  I was a bartender at the Hyatt House in downtown San Jose when I first began attending meetings at the Alano Club. When I became a Board member in 1974, I had just over one year of sobriety.”  As sobriety and meetings became Tony’s normal routine he enrolled in college with a Business Major at San Jose City College, and later transferred over to San Jose State University.  He left SJSU around 1985.

Tony has been married twice and is the step-father to three daughters and one son.  “At age 26, I married Audrey.  That was back in 1972.  We parted as friends, and in 1980 I married Sofia.  Both of my ex-wives had children, and I have been active in their lives.”  All four are adults now.

A man of few words, Tony Baron, has worked with many Board Members to make the Alano Club of San Jose more inclusive by accepting a wide range of groups to have meetings here at the Club.  “I think we were quite inflexible early on in regards to people who used more things than alcohol.  We have realized that drugs or alcohol are just a symptom of a deeper problem.  

Tony has many precious memories of the Club’s accomplishments.  He knows the Twelve Steps work.  His greatest frustration is that the Club could easily go bankrupt without the financial support of Club Memberships.  Some of the excuses he has heard from people who turn-down the invitation to become a supporting member include:  “I don’t use the Club as a Social Club.”  “I can’t afford it”,.  “I can’t afford it because I have a $50,000 automobile.”  Or, “I’m five years behind in my childsupport!”

During my first retirement I had groomed Whitney Gonzales as my replacement and things went smoothly with many revocations thanks to Whitney, she did quite a good job as manager until she couldn’t.  She had strains of her number one job was raising her daughter as a single mom.   

As a perfect example of “The Peter Principal” I have mostly retired and been promoted to CEO.