August 28, 1953 – October 19, 2026

Anthony Tony Clarabut, longtime Nevada County resident and local fire chief, passed away at his home on Monday, October 19, 2026, after a courageous battle with Lewy Body Dementia. He is survived by his beloved family, as well as by an extraordinary legacy of dedication and commitment to the community he loved.

Born August 28, 1953 in Carmel, California, Tony and his family moved to Big Sur and then Point Arena, both places where his father was the resident CHP officer. Tony was only 17 years old when he began his career in forestry as a seasonal CDF firefighter in the Mendocino Ranger Unit, moving on to Fire Apparatus Engineer in Sonoma, Fire Captain at Alder Point, Humboldt and, at 25, Helitack Captain in Fernwood and Kneeland. In 1983, Tony moved his family to Nevada County to become the Battalion Chief at Higgins Corner. He was soon promoted to Unit Operations Chief, and then to Unit Chief, where he served until his CDF/CalFire retirement in 2005. Unable to stay still, Tony then built a house on the Pacific Coast and served as the Ukiah Fire Chief in his spare time. When the house was finished, he moved home and served as the Grass Valley Fire Chief until 2013.

Known by most as “Chief,” Tony was a consummate leader. Throughout his over four decades in the fire service, he led with an infatigable combination of integrity, incisiveness, and compassion. His “measure twice, cut once” ethos commanded the respect of anyone who crossed his path and we all knew that when there was a job to be done, it would be done right. And boy, were there jobs! Tony found purpose in hard work — and joy in working alongside others — so the jobs never stopped. From building fire stations to fixing cars to spreading gravel and trailering his backhoe all over the state, there was virtually nothing he couldn’t or wouldn’t do.

He was the kind of guy who made friends and kept them. You could count on Tony to be on your doorstep, tools in hand, ready to help. The many deep friendships he made throughout his life reflected his genuine care for others and endured through the end.

No matter how busy Tony was, he made time for the things that mattered. He volunteered in his children’s classes, coached Odyssey of the Mind teams, served on the Bear River Rec and Park board, and golfed with friends. He also grew grapes and made good wine.

Tony was proud of his career in public service and proud of the accolades he earned as a home winemaker, but it was his family that made him the proudest of all. He loved being a son, brother, husband, uncle, father, and grandfather, and nothing made him happier than being surrounded by the people he held dear. Tony’s granddaughters were truly the light of his life.

Admired in the community for his affable yet disciplined nature, at home Tony had a mischievous edge that could fill a room with laughter. While we are heartbroken by the tremendous void he leaves behind, we take comfort in knowing he would not want us to grieve for long. As he always said, we have a lot of work to do.

A memorial service will be held at the Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building on Saturday, November 7th at 2:00 p.m. PST.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Foothills.