Hopefully in his death, people realize he was more than just the guy that ate the a$$hole out of warthog in Nairobi. He was a self-taught documentarian and writer. He published several works of fiction, and wrote a couple of episodes of the HBO series "Treme." No formal training, just natural talent.
Tony's politics were liberal, but the thing I respect most about him is that he could find common ground with just about anyone. One day he might be having lunch with Iggy Pop, or a bowl a Pho with Barack Obama, the next he'd be shooting automatic weapons with Ted Nugent, or riding in a swamp buggy in the Everglades. He may not have agreed philosophically with a Ted Nugent, but he respected him as a human being.
That is a rare trait in this day and age. It has become a world of hot takes and righteous indignation. If you don't agree with me, then you've offended me or committed a "microaggression." Tony really had a soft spot for the poor and oppressed in the world. I think that was the one thing that bothered him most...to see people being exploited or dehumanized.
As famous as he became, I think Tony was always uncomfortable with his celebrity. He was most at home being on the road with his crew. That was his family...and I think that tortured him. He so badly wanted his marriage to Ottavia to work for the sake of providing his daughter with a stable life. But the road was his mistress, and it eventually took its toll I think on the marriage and it ended.
I didn't know him personally, but I felt like I did because he was so honest and open which made him an amazing storyteller...not just of his own life, but the life of others.
This $hit just sucks.