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08 Jan 02 - 09:11 AM (#623320) Subject: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: catspaw49 Wendy's, being based here in Columbus, meant that Dave Thomas was a very popular figure and the local news just announced that he died at his florida home, age 69. He'd been having kidney dialysis and had a by-pass a few years ago, but no cause of death hass a yet been announced. He was responsible for some of the cutest and funniest ads in many years and when he started doing them himself, moet found them kinda' neat. His local work for many things in this area is well documented and Columbus has benefitted from his many donations of both money and time. Specifically, Dave Thomas was a strong booster and proponent for adoption although his own adoptive experience was less than happy. As an adoptive parent and advocate, I am grateful for his backing and for the resources and programs he helped to develop and fund. "Where's the beef?" Well, it's still at Wendy's.....but Dave Thomas was also the real thing and the genuine article......and will be missed. Thanks for all you did Dave. Spaw |
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08 Jan 02 - 09:13 AM (#623322) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Steve Latimer Sorry to hear that. He really seemed to be a genuinely fine person who shared his good fortune with others. |
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08 Jan 02 - 10:42 AM (#623368) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: 53 I'M TRULY SORRY TO HEAR THAT CAUSE HE WAS ONE OF THE NICEST GUYS IN THE WORLD, HE WILL BE MISSED. BOB |
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08 Jan 02 - 12:08 PM (#623419) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Lonesome EJ I remember when the first Wendy's opened in Louisville. I was among the crowd on that opening day, and there working the counter was Dave and his daughter Wendy, the young lady who was both the namesake of the chain and whose face still appears on many of the signs. Of course, this was before Dave became an advertising icon, but I guess I can say I knew him when. He always kept his approach simple...give good value for the money. And he seemed immune to the trappings of success. Basically, a nice guy who epitomized the American Success Story in the best way. |
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08 Jan 02 - 12:58 PM (#623456) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Jim Krause Oh man, what a surprise. I rather liked his commercials, too. Jim |
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08 Jan 02 - 01:00 PM (#623459) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: SINSULL My favorite Wendy's ad was the one with the nun trying to keep her drippy burger off her wimple. Dave Thomas' work promoting adoption has helped thousands of people and changed thousands of lives. An amazing man for all his simplicity. |
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08 Jan 02 - 01:18 PM (#623479) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: catspaw49 Here's a brief piece from the AP below. Yes, he did epitomize the all-American success story and even a step further. Dave Thomas gave so much back....and not just on a one time donation although there were those too. The Foundation for Adoption is left well funded as is the local zoo here, a GED program he helped to establish and fund, and also a program named Recreation Unlimited that he set up here and also in Florida where he moved a few years ago. It's a tremendous program for handicapped kids and their families and was not done by taking some existing camp and facility and modifying things, but rather by saying, what do we need and let's build it. All of these things were long term projects and he made sure the funds would always be there. Dave Thomas represented all that is right with this country and the best of what the American Dream is really about......and I'm not embarassed to say that I'm crying at his loss. Dave left us with a legacy that will go on, but could never have existed, without him.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ Dave Thomas, the portly pitchman whose homespun ads built Wendy's Old-Fashioned Hamburgers into one of the world's most successful fast-food enterprises, died Tuesday of liver cancer. He was 69. Thomas died around midnight at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the company said. Thomas had been undergoing kidney dialysis since early 2001 and had quadruple heart bypass surgery in December 1996. "He was the heart and soul of our company. He had a passion for great tasting hamburgers, and devoted his life to serving customers great food and helping those less fortunate in his community," said Jack Schuessler, chairman and chief executive of Wendy's, based in the Columbus suburb of Dublin. The founder and senior chairman of Wendy's International became a household name when he began pitching his burgers and fries in television commercials in 1989. The smiling Thomas, always wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and red tie, touted the virtues of fast-food in more than 800 humorous ads, sometimes featuring stars such as bluesman B.B. King and soap opera queen Susan Lucci. "As long as it works, I'll continue to do the commercials," Thomas said in a 1991 interview. "When it's not working any longer, then I'm history." Industry analysts and company officials said the ads helped the company rebound from a difficult period in the mid-1980s when earnings sank. "He's given Wendy's a corporate identity ... a down-homey type image. The lack of sophistication is a real benefit for the company," Diane Mustain, a financial analyst, said in 1991. "Although Dave was wildly popular, he was never very comfortable as a celebrity. He kept reminding us he was simply a hamburger cook," Schuessler said. But burgers weren't his first love. Thomas, who was adopted as an infant, became a national advocate for adoption. He created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a not-for-profit organization focused on raising public awareness of adoption. The profits from his books, "Dave's Way" and "Well Done!" go to the foundation. He once testified before a Congressional committee about the importance of creating incentives for adoption. "I know firsthand how important it is for every child to have a home and loving family," he testified. "Without a family, I would not be where I am today." Born July 2, 1932, Thomas was 12 when he got his first restaurant job _ as a counterman in Knoxville, Tenn. In 1956, he was working at a barbecue restaurant in Fort Wayne, Ind., when Col. Harland Sanders of KFC fame stopped in on a promotional tour. Thomas's boss bought a KFC franchise, and six years later, Thomas came to Columbus to take over four failing Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. He sold them back to the founder in 1968 for $1.5 million, making him a millionaire at 35. He opened his first Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers in Columbus a year later. He named the restaurant after his 8-year-old daughter Melinda Lou, nicknamed Wendy by her siblings. The chain now has 6,000 restaurants worldwide. In 1996, Wendy's acquired the Canadian-based Tim Hortons, the coffee and fresh-baked goods chain which has grown to more than 2,000 stores. Both have combined sales of more than $8 billion. Thomas was a forgiving businessman. The city of Philadelphia in 1994 wanted to fine Wendy's $98,400, claiming the restaurant was selling quarter-pounders that were up to a quarter of an ounce short. The city later announced it made an error and withdrew the fine. "I understand what happened," said Thomas, who visited the city shortly after the controversy. "Things happen. Mistakes happen. As far as we're concerned, we just want to go to the future. A bright future." He tried to retire in 1982, but came back in 1989. "They took the focus off the consumer," he said of the executives who took over the company. Despite his success, it wasn't until 1993 that Thomas earned a high school equivalency certificate. That year, he told 2,500 Columbus public school seniors his biggest mistake was not finishing high school. "We have 4,000 restaurants today, but if I had gotten my high school diploma, we might have 8,000," he said. Spaw
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08 Jan 02 - 01:40 PM (#623489) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: SharonA Wow, what sad news. As the aunt of two girls adopted as infants, I can only hope that more people like Dave Thomas will turn their success in life into an opportunity to help others improve theirs. Mr. Thomas will indeed be deeply missed. Sharon |
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08 Jan 02 - 01:47 PM (#623492) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: GUEST, Just guest CNN is reporting that he died of Liver cancer which he has had for 10 years. See this site: http://money.cnn.com/2002/01/08/companies/wendys_obit/index.htm
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08 Jan 02 - 01:57 PM (#623497) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Don Firth Dave Thomas. A good man. The mute button on my TV remote gets used a lot, but I used to listen to the Wendy's commercials because I wanted to see what Dave Thomas was up to this time. I am a connoiseur of hamburgers. I've eaten them all my life and since at my advanced age I have some perspective on the phenomenon, I'm highly disappointed in what folks nowadays call a "hamburger." But of the ones that come from the kind places where they throw hamburgers out a window at passing cars, Wendy's are about the best. Love the frosties, too. I never did figure out why the patties are square, though. I always bite the corners off first. Don Firth |
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08 Jan 02 - 02:26 PM (#623516) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Stilly River Sage I've been favoring Wendy's a lot lately for my fast food because I'm wearing braces. His crispy chicken nugget five piece is easy to eat and doesn't get hung up in the wires. It's also the only fast food chicken that tastes like chicken. I always liked it as a place to take the kids on our budget. I could feed three of us for under $10. Now they're big, it isn't quite as inexpensive. . . I agree with folks above. I enjoyed his commercials. During last year's strike by members of the union representing actors in advertisements Thomas honored the strike, until it became clear that it was impacting his employees too heavily. He decided to resign his membership and resume making commercials, but he was upfront about why, the hardship his absense was causing. Tough choice to make, but he made it for the humane reason. MD
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08 Jan 02 - 03:13 PM (#623552) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: wysiwyg Square patties can be bulk-cut, is why, I think. When I heard the news, I thought-- now there was someone who reminds us it CAN work to be a nice person. ~S~ |
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08 Jan 02 - 03:19 PM (#623558) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Clinton Hammond See ya after, Dave! |
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08 Jan 02 - 04:22 PM (#623619) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: katlaughing I guess ya have to go somehow and I know he was a very great philanthropist, but I cannot help but think that if he'd promoted healthier eating and done so himself, he might still be here. Sorry, to be a wet blanket, but so many kids of today know almost nothing but fast-food nutrition, and he contributed to that, too, with his ads and hamburgers and fries. I have a hard time reading what a great person he was when this is not taken into account. He DID try with adding baked potatoes and pita salads, I'll give him that. And, I am sorry that he isn't around to help promote the wonderful programs for which he cared so much. Now that he is gone, I guess we just have to focus on the good he has done and his far-sightedness will continue to do; I'm just sorry it has to be at the expense of our arteries. Sorry, esp. to Spaw becuase I know how much Dave's programs, etc. mean to him. kat |
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08 Jan 02 - 04:56 PM (#623650) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Wesley S Kat - All of the Wendy's I've been in have salad bars. Not great ones but they are there. When the last time you saw one at a McDonalds ? So I think he DID promote healthy eating compared to his competition. |
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08 Jan 02 - 05:28 PM (#623672) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: SharonA As I read kat's post of 08-Jan-02 - 04:22 PM, I thought of Jim Fixx, author of "The Complete Book of Running" (1977), and I looked up a brief bio on him. Fixx is credited as a major impetus behind the US's raised consciousness with regard to fitness, yet died of a heart attack while running at the age of 52. Oddly enough, he was born the same year as Dave Thomas (birthdate: April 23, 1932). So, promoting a healthy lifestyle won't necessarily help one to live longer. Since Thomas was adopted, I suppose we'll never know what role genetics may have played in his health problems. But we do know that he was a businessman... and, let's face it, if he'd promoted healthy eating while he was building his business – with fast-food joints all around him – his business might well have failed, and with it any hope for philathropic uses for his profits. As kat observes, he did provide many healthier alternatives to hamburgers and fries on his menu, an innovative stroke that "Mickey D's" and "BK" are only weakly imitating. If the kids of today know little about balanced nutrition and are easily swayed by ads for fast food, their parents are responsible for not making balanced food choices for their children and for not teaching them the importance of sales resistance in this advertising-glutted world. For whatever non-nutritional choices he may have made in his own diet, I think that all in all Thomas made pretty damned good use of his 69 years. |
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08 Jan 02 - 06:13 PM (#623709) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: GUEST,Desdemona My kids have choir practice on Wednesday afternoons, and we always get fast food because by the time we get outta there it's too damn late to cook; tomorrow we're getting Wendy's! RIP, Dave--anyone who names a business after his daughter must be all right in my book! |
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08 Jan 02 - 06:27 PM (#623717) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: SharonA By the way, here's a web page that discusses the life – and early death at 63 – of another proponent of healthy living, Dr. Jim Corea. He was a physician and radio talk-show host in the Philadelphia, PA area and, for over 20 years, broadcast advice about health and fitness that he also lived by. WWDB-FM Message Forum – Detailed News on Jim Corea An excerpt from this message board reads: "The immediate cause of Jim Corea's death was a heart attack, more specifically, congestive heart failure. The long-term cause was heart disease. "So why did Dr. Jim, this seeming paragon of healthy living, die so young? Barbara [his widow] offered this: 'Jim's dad died in bed at 36, we're pretty sure of a heart attack. His grandfather died of a heart attack at 56, and his grandmother died of a heart attack at 64.' "The latest thinking is that of all the cardiac risk factors, family history may be most important.... "Could it be that exercise killed Dr. Jim? That his heart, subjected to the stress of [weightlifting], just gave out? "Barbara thinks not. 'It may have made him live a little longer. Just because this happened to him, I don't think that means that exercise and watching your diet isn't a good thing. My father smoked and drank his whole life and lived to be 82. People always want to compare. I just have to think it was in his genes.' " So, by that account, Corea's wife agrees with kat that a healthy lifestyle might extend one's expected lifespan, but also points out that one's expected lifespan depends primarily on nature, not nurture. Again, because Dave Thomas was adopted, we have no way of knowing whether he outlived the lifespan of his blood relatives, or not. Therefore, any assumption that he did not is pure speculation that does a disservice to his many fine societal contributions. Also, there is no reason to assume that the good things Thomas has done "[have] to be at the expense of our arteries," since his Wendy's restaurants do offer nutritional foods in addition to fried foods. One simply has to choose the good.... something that, on a philanthropic level, Thomas made it his life's work – and legacy – to do. |
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08 Jan 02 - 08:37 PM (#623824) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: katlaughing I am sorry to have said anything; it was inappropriate to this thread. |
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09 Jan 02 - 12:29 AM (#623919) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Peter Kasin That hits home. That's what my dad had - liver cancer/kidney failure/months on dialysis. A very sad way to go. I didn't realize Dave Thomas did such good works. Thanks for posting that, Spaw. Rest In Peace, Dave Thomas. |
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09 Jan 02 - 01:28 AM (#623939) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: GUEST Couldn't have happened to a nicer murderer. Slaughtered both cows and humans. He died before they could take him to court, just like the cigarette lobby, these guys deserve to have their ass sued right off the top of Anahiem Hills. Their families need to pay retribution to the families of innocent victums like cp (creator of this thread who had no will power, but continued to clog his veins with the crusty cholesterol of dead cows.) Phuchem!
Thank you KatLaughing for bringing this forward, I'm just sorry it has to be at the expense of our arteries. We need a vegin board! |
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09 Jan 02 - 01:49 AM (#623948) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Don Firth (Ignore the twit behind the curtain, folks.) That's okay, Kat. I love a good hamburger and I eat 'em from time to time, but not as often as I used to. Most of the time I'm practically a vegetarian. But as the philosopher said, "All things should be taken in moderation. Including moderation itself." Anybody remember Euell Gibbons? When he passed away, news reports said he died of "natural causes." Don Firth |
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09 Jan 02 - 04:08 AM (#623970) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: katlaughing Oh, jeez, Don, we used to have some naughty joke about him and his "wild hickory nuts!" LOL! GUEST, your words don't carry much meaning and I'd prefer not to be associated with them as they are over the top and you can't be bothered to come out from behind the mask of anonymity. Have the guts to stand by your convictions in the light of day and we might get some where. Spewing does no good for any cause. |
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09 Jan 02 - 08:51 PM (#624497) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: khandu Good Night, Mr. Dave. It has been a pleasure having you in this world. See you in the next! khandu
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09 Jan 02 - 08:53 PM (#624498) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: khandu I did not want to pollute my farewell to Dave so I decided to put this in another post: Cowardly nameless Guest, Bite a fat hog in the ass! khandu |
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10 Jan 02 - 06:38 PM (#625304) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: GUEST,NH Dave I was saddened to hear of Dave Thomas'death this week, as we both seemed to have parallels. My brother and I were adopted shortly after birth, and we both adopted babies later in our own lives. Both Dave and I spent some time in the Army, and learned many lessons from the experience. I've read several of his books, and learned a lot about good management from them. It is amazing how easy it is to get ahead in business if one starts early, listens to others'advice, and is willing to work the hours it takes to succeed in any business. Dave started working hard very early in life, due in part to the Depression and his family situation. His initiative and hard work gained him the recognition that enabled him to move up in whatever organization he was working, and his willingness to take a chance in business insured that he'd be a sucess in whatever he did. I've never eaten a Wendy's hamburger, preferring the chicken sandwiches instead, but I've been eating at Wendy's for years and either got a good meal or an explanation why not! That's more than can be said for most fast food places. I'll miss Dave on TV, and be sad for his family. He was a real icon of hard work and determination. Dave |
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10 Jan 02 - 07:44 PM (#625390) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: catspaw49 Dave carried the front page and an entire section in the Columbus Dispatch. Thousands and thousands of Columbus folk passed through the lobby of Wendy's corporate headquarters where the viewing was held, although it was closed casket. Lots od bigwigs on the news with kind words and the zoo director, Jack Hanna, got pretty emotional. He had lots of respect around the country, but nowhere more than in this city. A&E is carrying his biography tonight. Spaw |
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10 Jan 02 - 10:34 PM (#625506) Subject: RE: OBIT: Dave Thomas-'Where's the Beef?' From: Melani According to the newspaper, the hamburgers are square because his grandmother, who mostly raised him, told him never to cut corners. |