Successful Bend, Oregon Businessman Leads by Example with Significant Bequest to Shriners Children’s

“The more I give, the more I get,” Tom said.

These are the simple words, shared by a friend early in Tom's automotive career, that stuck with him.

“My clients are some of the finest people in the world, and when I first started selling automobiles, a man shared this with me," Tom said. "And it has influenced my giving to this day.”

Now retired after a successful 62-year career in the automotive industry, Tom plans to leave a significant bequest to Shriners Children’s, split evenly between Shriners Children's Portland and Shriners Children's Spokane.

“I was born in Washington and got my start there, but I really made my money while living in Oregon, so I want to give back to the communities that shaped me," Tom said.

Born at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, across the street from Shriners Children’s Spokane, Tom has remained connected to the city through local clubs and organizations. He began his automotive career at a dealership in Pullman, Washington, before moving to Bend, Oregon in 1974. He later founded his own business, and worked as an independent broker selling luxury vehicles, shipping them all over the world until his recent retirement.

A leader in the community, Tom served on the Bend Chamber of Commerce Board and has been a Rotary member for 50 years, raising significant funds for their foundation. In the late 1980s, he purchased 200 acres of land in Bend as an investment. And now on that land sits a 70-acre solar farm.

Tom’s introduction to Shriners International and Shriners Children's came through an uncle he admired. Hardworking and sophisticated, his uncle was both a Mason and a Shriner. When thinking about his legacy and where he would donate the land, he decided on Shriners Children’s.

When asked why, he said, “What you do, no one else does.”

Tom often mentions Shriners Children’s in conversations and is always surprised by how many friends and community members have been helped by the healthcare system.

“A friend of mine had polio as a child and they put him on a train from eastern Oregon to Portland for surgery and treatment at the Shriners hospital," Tom said. "He later received treatment at Shriners Children’s Spokane as well. The more people I chat with, the more I hear of others who have been helped by Shriners Children’s. It’s quite amazing,”

“There’s a quote about how the most honorable and enjoyable way to use money is giving it to others and that is what I try to do: to leave the earth a little better as we pass through it.”

Tom’s significant estate gift will leave 200 acres to Shriners Children’s and the 70-acre solar farm on his land will provide a 60-year flow of income to benefit patients of Shriners Children’s for many years to come.