The Official Publication of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association. Since 1976 and Still Going Strong.

January/february 2007

2006 TLCA Individual Member of the Year - Tony Twiddy

by Ross Woody

Tony Twiddy was voted TLCA Member of the Year for 2006 by the TLCA board of directors. Tony’s list of accomplishments in 2006 is very impressive, most notably his work on the 30th Anniversary History of TLCA articles published in Toyota Trails. Tony worked countless hours researching, calling people and writing the series. It is something that will be looked back on generations from now as the ultimate reference of the beginnings of TLCA.

I met Tony many years ago at a PMC Swap Meet at Ron Patston’s house. Tony is a very affable character, one to greet you with an open hand and his characteristic phrase—“I’m Tony Twiddy and I’m damn glad to meet ya!” The nice thing is, Tony really means it.

Tony was born in May of 1960 in Northern California. Tony and I actually grew up in the same part of Humboldt County but our paths never crossed. Tony met Jeff Bromke while in high school and together, they have been running the McGrew Trail Ride for six years now. Jeff is actually the one who introduced Tony to the supremacy of the FJ40. Seems Tony was driving a Jeep Cherokee back then—Tony doesn’t talk about this much but we think that is why he is so tolerant of another friend, Jeeper Ron.

Tony has been married to Cindy Twiddy for 20 years and Cindy is a huge support to Tony in all that he does. They have two girls, Sheryl and Katie, and after the girls graduate, Tony and Cindy plan to relocate from Healdsburg, California, up to Auburn to be closer to their favorite trails—Rubicon and Fordyce.

Tony and Roger Taylor co-founded Pacific Mountain Cruisers in 1996 and Tony then began writing the club’s newsletter and became PMC’s TLCA delegate. Tony has always had the knack for creative writing and his articles have graced the pages of Toyota Trails many times. He became actively involved with TLCA in 1997 by serving as Secretary for then President Ron Patston, and continuing through many board positions including Western IR and MSVP—and eventually became TLCA President in 2003, serving through 2004. Today he is in his 5th year as Rubithon Chairman and still writes the PMC newsletter.

Tony has long-supported the Blue Ribbon Coalition and Friends of the Rubicon and has participated on numerous trail committees, trail clean-ups and PMC club runs—he’s also the first person to pass Del Albright’s Recreational Leadership Training Course. Tony founded the PMC Swap Meet and has wheeled almost every inch of California with his two best wheeling buddies, Phil Pasciak and Jeeper Ron Thomas. He’s even been to Moab (twice) and Texas (once)—not even a state as big as California can satisfy Tony’s desire for off-road adventure.

When I asked friends and fellow wheelers for pictures and anecdotes about Tony, I noticed that in nearly every picture, Tony is either wearing a TLCA hat, jacket or shirt. Or all three. Tony lives and breathes TLCA and it shows in his actions as well as his words.

Tony is very good at getting people to help him and he delegates jobs well. He is a true leader, making sure that all of his volunteers have the support and equipment they need. I have been helping Tony with Rubithon’s Saturday dinner for 5 years now. In 2004, it looked like I wouldn’t be able to make it, but Tony called around and hooked me up with Jim Brantley, who picked me up and drove me into the Springs. That’s the type of guy Tony is—a guy who makes sure everyone can get done what needs to be accomplished.
Tony and Cindy are also an integral part of the annual PMC Swap Meet. Tony helps with the vendors and the car show people—and Cindy runs the TLCA registration. Their efforts netted 27 new or renewing members in 2006.

One of our mutual friends here in the San Francisco bay area likens Tony to Eric Stratten, Rush Chairman of the Delta House in the movie Animal House. Tony always greets you with a smile and a handshake, spins great stories and just makes you feel welcome. Another friend mentioned that he has never heard a disparaging remark about Tony, and that Tony always makes people feel accepted. I saw a great example of that this year at Rubithon—for anyone who has ever chaired an event, you know that your time is stretched thin, and you have to be in a dozen places at once. Despite this, on Friday night Tony made sure that his guests, Todd Kaderabek (Toyota Trails Editor) and Erik Christiansen (TLCA Executive Vice President) had a steak dinner ready for them when they arrived in camp. And Tony was the one cooking it!

I think this quote from Eric Vogt, TLCA’s Marketing Vice President, sums things up the best. “Tony is the type of folk who does stuff just because. They aren’t expecting any honor in doing it. They do it because they feel it in their heart—the type of folks that aren’t going to be overly willing to accept an honor because they did their work because they wanted to and for no other reason.”

So raise a glass to Tony Twiddy—a most deserving TLCA Member of the Year.

Photos courtesy of Cindy Twiddy