Tony James was born in the UK in 1939. He received an academic scholarship and studied mechanical engineering at Nottingham University; he received a degree in 1961. He married his college sweetheart, Susan, in 1962. In 1963 they emigrated to Canada and lived in Toronto for four years. In 1967 they moved to San Jose where Tony worked for GE until he retired in 1994. Throughout his professional career, Tony was always either an engineer or a manager of engineers.

Tony and Susan have no children. They enjoy an active life together with emphasis on camping, hiking, and photography.