The process was slow. My grandfather got involved with the foundation shortly after Azim created it. During our visits my grandfather would tell me about the work Azim was doing on Tariq’s and my behalf. Azim wrote to me and sent newsletters about the foundation and the Peacemaker assemblies and sometimes I would be asked my thoughts on things. Years later after connecting with Tasreen she had an idea that I could do a blog from prison answering students about my questions about my lived experience. After being released from prison in 2019, I did volunteer work for the foundation eventually joining the board and after two years on the board, I came on staff full-time as the community impact facilitator.
Tony’s story is one of transformation, purpose, and service.
Tony came to live with his grandfather, Ples Felix, in 1990. His mother, Loeta, felt that living with Ples would provide Tony with the structure, guidance, and support he needed during a difficult time in his young life. Ples became an important and loving presence in Tony’s life. Even with that support, Tony continued to face significant challenges as a teenager, shaped in part by the violence, gangs, abuse, rejection, and anger that had marked his early years.
In January 1995, at fourteen years old, Tony participated in a robbery in which he shot and killed twenty-year-old Tariq Khamisa. He was prosecuted as an adult and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. That moment changed many lives, including Tony’s, and its consequences would remain an important part of his story for the rest of his life.
But Tony’s life and story did not end there.
Over more than two decades of incarceration, Tony committed himself to the difficult and deeply personal work of change. His reflections from those years speak of accountability, forgiveness, self-forgiveness, gratitude, growth, and learning to see both himself and the world differently. Ultimately, Tony was found suitable for parole in November 2018 and released from prison in April 2019.
Following his release, Tony became increasingly involved in the work and community of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation. He served on TKF’s Board of Trustees, bringing his lived experience and perspective to the organization’s leadership. In October 2025, Tony joined the TKF staff as Community Impact Facilitator, deepening his commitment to the mission and work that had become such an important part of his life.
Tony spoke with students and young people, participated in trainings and school programs, and shared his experiences with honesty and humility. He did not shy away from the painful choices of his past or their consequences. Instead, he drew from his own journey to help others understand accountability, forgiveness, second chances, and the possibility of choosing a different path.
Yet Tony was so much more than the story that first connected him to TKF. Those who knew him recognized a man of warmth and humility, with a deep sense of gratitude, a wonderful sense of humor, and a genuine care for others. They knew of his relationships, his continued growth, and his desire to live a life rooted in meaning and service.
In Tony’s own words, he hoped simply “to be of use.” He lived that intention by showing up for others, sharing what he had learned, and using his life experiences in service of young people and communities.
This page honors the fullness of Tony’s life: the history he carried, the transformation he worked for, the man he became, the words he left behind, and the lasting impact he had on the many people whose lives became connected with his.
