Susan Davis: “There has never been any question that Tony Gwynn was a great hitter, but probably the second most talked about aspect…”

“There has never been any question that Tony Gwynn was a great hitter, but probably the second most talked about aspect of Tony Gwynn was his laugh. On Monday, we lost a great leader both on and off the field. Tony Gwynn passed away--surrounded by family--at age 54. We lost that great laugh. Tony was described as a person who, after spending a few minutes with him, you felt better than you did before. Part of it was his laugh. He displayed that in playing baseball, as a teacher, and in his charitable work with his wife, Alicia. There was a special quality about him. Tony turned down lucrative offers, offers that others might have picked up, but he turned those down to remain a San Diego Padre, and in this time of sports trades, that is a big deal. It was not surprising that, after his playing days, he returned to his alma mater, San Diego State University, to teach and coach Aztec baseball--to be a mentor. One of his students plays not too far from this Chamber at Nationals Park. Pitcher Stephen Strasburg played for Tony, who he described as a father figure. Tony Gwynn leaves a lasting impact in San Diego. His loss is being felt throughout the community. We see that in the collective grief and celebration of his life. ____________________”