Tony Troyer — a friend and more to all at AloNovus
The late Tony Troyer, here with his beloved dog Max, worked at AloNovus and the Bargain Hunter for over 40 years.
Anthony “Tony” Wayne Troyer, 59 of Wooster, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at the Cleveland Clinic.
Tony had been employed in Millersburg by AloNovus, the parent company of the Bargain Hunter, Mimi Vanderhaven, the Wooster Weekly News and other products, for over 40 years, working in customer service. He was the longest tenured employee of the company and a friend to all who knew him.
Here are some thoughts on Tony from his co-workers, starting with AloNovus President Michael Mast:
"Tony will be missed by many, but few miss him more than his family here at AloNovus. Having lost both his parents early and having only one brother, Kevin, residing in Florida, Tony had little family. I know that he considered many of us his family, and to many of us he was like a brother.
"As you will see in the many tributes below from his family here, Tony’s passing will leave a palpable vacancy within our organization — one that can never be filled. I have no doubt we can hire a person to fill his role. But each one of us will carry this void for the rest of our days.
"Tony’s love and commitment to each of us was unwavering. Over the years I have received countless notes from Tony, always gracious and kind, expressing gratitude, and always noting his daily prayers for me and for our organization.
"We all know that Tony was conscientious to a 'T.' That was his compulsion. But even greater was his personal attribute of compassion. That was his choice. Every single person who has worked for our company since Sept. 9, 1980, has had the pleasure of having called Tony their teammate, and many of us own the privilege of calling him a friend.
"This is not goodbye. It is simply, as Tony would salute as he passed my door on his way out each day, 'Later, dude!'
"To which I would respond, 'Yep, catch you later.'
"I celebrate the fact that I will, indeed, catch Tony later."
Andy Vernon — “Tony was a unique, authentic soul, and he will be sorely missed by all. Kind, sharp-witted, dedicated, reliable, steady, sometimes admittedly stubborn but always on point, we will miss our 'T' as he certainly left behind a 41-year impactful legacy within our organization.”
Clint Alguire — “I have a gad-zillion Tony stories from our 36 years working together — too many to share, impossible to select among them. Each one speaks, in its own way, to the exceptional human being Tony Troyer was. He leaves shoes that will never be filled and memories that will always be cherished.”
Randy McKee — "Tony was a great friend and an even better co-worker. He was 'Mr. Bargain Hunter' in the flesh, with his constant attention to detail and dedication to his job and clients. It was in his DNA. Tony will be missed by many! God's Speed 'T-Man.' See you on the other side."
Jan West — “Sometimes there just aren’t enough words to describe just how much someone meant to you and how profoundly their passing has affected your life. Tony had a way of making each and every person he encountered feel as though they were the most special person he ever knew. So many clients have commented on how positive Tony’s emails always were, how inspirational he was, and how they always felt uplifted by his positive personality and words of kindness. He served as a support system for many and asked for nothing but true friendship in return.”
Julia Meehan — “Tony and I shared an office for quite some time when I started at the BH. For that I will forever be grateful. He was so knowledgeable, patient and kind. He was customer service, internal and external. He served his co-workers as he served his clients, with personal and prayerful consideration.”
Lynn Margalit — “Back in the early days, Tony was my guiding star at 4 a.m. He was the only other person up and working at that hour, and he always had something funny, cute or encouraging to say about getting through another deadline. I really looked forward to our little bantering back and forth for a few minutes on those busy mornings.”
Carey Conn — “Tony was one of a kind, the best at what he did, great work ethic, someone I respected a great deal and was proud to be on the same team with. He would find typos even after you used spellcheck. A kind and thoughtful friend.”
Jim Marshall — “In times when our technology inevitably failed, creating frustration and a sense of panic throughout our organization, Tony always chose to respond with patience and a positive attitude. He will truly be missed both professionally and personally.”
Carmen Camacho — “I met Tony a little over 20 years ago. I was a server, and he was having dinner with friends. He was one of those chatty customers that asked lots of questions and really seemed to care about your answers. He was sweet and funny, and before he left, he told me I should apply to be his assistant at the Bargain Hunter. I did, and before long we were working together and became friends. Tony was such a genuinely kind person and had infinite patience with everyone. I learned so much from my time sharing an office with him.
"I left the Bargain Hunter and went out and continued to grow. My first day back in December of 2013 I was nervous, but there was Tony. I spent my first week training with him to learn the software and get reacclimated to the company. Tony made me feel at home, like I had never been gone. This is what has made Tony special to so many people. He had a way of making you feel like you were important and that he was happy to see you or hear from you. He remembered everyone's birthday and always had a card waiting on your desk.”
Debra Brown — “Tony was not only a co-worker, he was my friend. He was kind, compassionate, thoughtful and loved to laugh. Tony always thought of the other person, not himself, and I always admired his work ethic. He genuinely cared for the clients he dealt with. I will miss him terribly.”
Bonnita Barclay — “I have very fond memories of Tony when I was first hired at the Bargain Hunter 25 years ago. He befriended me, and we developed a very nice friendship, shared life stories, prayed for one another and laughed a lot. His friendship will be greatly missed.”
Michael Mast — "My hope is that in the coming dark days, you will find hope in these words from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:"
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.