Walk into George Redfox’s classroom at Warren High School and chances are good you’ll hear Frank Sinatra’s golden voice crooning over the radio.

It suits George perfect: classic, retro, and slyly cool.

George has lived in Downey for all his 51 years. Well, almost: he moved to Downey from South Gate when he was 6 months old. He went through the Downey school system, starting with kindergarten at Downey Elementary (it was located where City Hall is today), Gallatin Elementary, East Middle School and then Downey High, class of 1986. (George recognizes the irony that he graduated from Downey High but teaches at Warren. Make of that what you will.)

After completing his general education courses at Cerritos College, he transferred to Cal State Fullerton and earned a history degree. His teaching credential was issued by Point Loma University.

He was hired by Downey Unified as a playground assistant at William Elementary and then as a full-time substitute. When a photography position opened at Warren in 1997, it was a natural fit for George, whose father owned and operated a photography studio — Redfox Camera — in Huntington Park.

“I worked with my dad in the shop and I grew up with a darkroom in the house,” said George. “I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was probably 10 years old.”

In fact, George had planned on taking over his dad’s store but the big box retailers made it almost impossible for small photo studios to survive. So George pivoted to education and today he teaches black and white photography and some digital.

And in an age when most teens carry a camera everywhere they go, the class is predictably popular among students.

“The numbers are pretty high for that class,” said George. “I don’t have any problem filling it; it’s over-filled most of the time.”

Away from the classroom, George dedicates much of his time to the Downey community. It’s how he was raised as a young boy.

“I think the first thing that I really got involved in was the Rose Float actually,” said George. “I’ve been working on the Rose Float since I think I was 6.

“I was six years old and my grandpa worked at the city yard filling up the police cars with gas. And my dad would take me down to visit my grandpa and they built the float there. From there we just started working on a little bit of the float. That’s pretty much where it started.”

George’s appreciation for local history also started as a boy, when his family would take walks around the neighborhood. The mid-century architecture especially stood out to George.

When the Speedee McDonald’s was threatened with demolition in 1994, George got his first taste of local advocacy. He wrote letters to the Downey Eagle newspaper pleading for the landmark restaurant to be saved.

In 2010, George formed the Downey Conservancy, a non-profit that works to preserve historic structures in Downey.

**George Redfox leads a walking tour of Downtown Downey on Oct. 22, 2016. Photo by Joan Anderson**

“I used to write a lot of stuff regarding mansionization,” George said about the formation of the conservancy. “I probably ticked off a lot of people but whatever, it is what it is. If they don’t like it, they don’t like it, it doesn’t really bother me.

“But I think from there I thought, ‘Maybe I won’t tick off so many people. Maybe I’ll focus on the historical conservancy part of it and hopefully educate more.”

As long as Downey lacks a historical preservation ordinance the conservancy will have an uphill fight on its hands. But it has been successful in celebrating Downey icons that are still here, including major anniversary parties for Taco Bell, Stox, Carlo’s Pizza and Pina’s Pizza. The 65th-anniversary celebration for Speedee McDonald’s received national press.

“As far as reaction from the city, I think it’s been pretty good,” George said. “Hopefully we can educate a little bit because I think as of right now, they just don’t really have the knowledge as far as what the history can bring to the city.”

What makes Downey a special place?

“The mid-century architecture around here is second to none,” George said. “It was pretty much fully developed in the 50s and 60s because of the aerospace plant that we had here. People had money, a lot of executives lived here. So you had a lot of custom-built homes, a lot of unique style architecture.”

George doesn’t see himself moving out of Downey any time soon, even as the city changes.

“My family’s here and I really like the city,” George said. “I get to the beach in 15 or 20 minutes, the mountains in half an hour, and Orange County in 15 minutes. Same with Downtown L.A.

“And I don’t mind the six-minute commute.”

George Redfox fell in love with Downey and never left