Toni V. Fox: 9/25/1947 – 8/20/2023

Our beloved Toni passed away on August 20, 2023, after a long and courageous battle with melanoma. She is fondly remembered by family and friends for her warmth, contagious smile, and vivacious personality. 

Toni V. Fox was born in Los Angeles to Vance and Carole Basler and was one of three children with an older sister, Jo, and younger brother, Terry. She attended high school at South High in Torrance and graduated from Inglewood High School, where she was an excellent student, cheerleader, and honored by her classmates at many high school events. It was at a high school friend’s party that Toni, age 16, met her future husband, Dave. 

Toni attended the University of California Irvine and Colorado State University as an art major. She graduated with a BS in Education from University of Southern California in 1970. Toni taught fourth grade in the Torrance Unified School District for four years. 

Toni and Dave married at The Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes in August 1969. They soon became apartment managers and bought their first home in Rolling Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. 

A few years later, they moved to Santa Barbara, where Dave developed his business as a State Farm agent, and Toni pursued her career in interior design. She created Innovative Designs West, which quickly flourished through word of mouth. Toni is remembered by clients for her amazing vision, and she quickly gained the respect of contractors for her attention to detail and the ability to get a job done.

Before long, Dave and Toni purchased a home in Montecito and began their family of three wonderful sons Blair, Brandon, and Brent. Toni was involved in the PTA and loved watching her boys participate in water polo, football, tennis, and other sports. 

After 30 years of living in Montecito, Dave and Toni moved in 2004 to a ranch in Santa Ynez where Toni was elated to look out on their vineyard, a dream come true. And, of course, Toni once again worked her magic completely refurbishing the ranch house into the beautiful home it is today. 

She dearly loved her home, children, grandchildren, interior design, travel to Europe (especially Italy), and watching her granddaughters participate in soccer and water polo. Her passions also included gardening and reading spy stories, mysteries, and the Bible. 

Toni is survived by her loving husband Dave, sons Blair (Sarah), Brandon, and Brent, granddaughters Rylee and Haylee, and her beloved Hungarian Puli “Vincy.”