Early life.
''I like to be around them, but I couldn't do it too much because it would bother me.
the boy vowed.When his family moved again, Mr. Thomas refused to go. Thomas is said to have appeared in more commercials than the combined appearances in ads of Lee Iacocca, of Chrysler; Orville Redenbacher, of the popcorn brand; and Colonel Sanders, of fried-chicken fame. Dave Thomas, an orphan who went to work in restaurants at 12 and by dint of hard work, quality control and shrewd marketing made Wendy's the third-largest hamburger chain in the world, died yesterday. In 1993, he hired a tutor and passed the G.E.D. She survives him, as well as his wife of 47 years, Lorraine; a son, Ken; three other daughters, Pam, Molly and Lori; and 16 grandchildren. He explained that his mentor, Colonel Sanders, had made the mistake of staying on too long.
Thomas became a leading champion for the adoption of foster children, arguing that they needed love in their lives.
A Friend until the End. The children and Dave Thomas' widow also are shareholders, collectively owning "a nice-sized amount" of stock, Wendy Thomas said. But the restaurants were floundering, and Mr. Thomas was told that he could earn a 40 percent ownership share by turning them around.His enthusiasm was so strong that for a while he adopted Colonel Sanders's signature white suit and black string tie. exam. Thomas was not a natural actor, and initially, his performances were criticized as stiff and ineffective by advertising critics.By 1990, after efforts by Wendy's advertising agency, Backer Spielvolgel Bates, to get humor into the campaign, a decision was made to portray Thomas in a more self-deprecating and folksy manner, which proved much more popular with test audiences.With his natural self-effacing style and his relaxed manner, Thomas quickly became a household name. He briefly served as regional director for Kentucky Fried Chicken, then helped found the Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips chain.In 1969, he started the hamburger restaurant of his dreams. Dave Thomas was survived by his wife, Lorraine, and four children – Pam, Lori, Molly, and his daughter, the famous Melinda, who inspired the name Wendy’s. He said she had taught him the values he strove to build into Wendy's, particularly her oft-repeated admonition, ''Don't cut corners.''Mr.
''Hard work is good for the soul,'' Mr. Thomas remembered her saying. He named it after the nickname of his 8-year-old daughter, Melinda Lou. However, by 1985, several company business decisions, including an awkward new breakfast menu and loss in brand awareness due to fizzled marketing efforts, caused the company's new president to urge Thomas back into a more active role with Wendy's. he asked. His closest relationship was with his grandmother, with whom he spent summers. He had her on hand -- with her freckles, blue-and-white striped dress and red-and-white striped socks -- to greet the first customers.As the company grew to hold 13 percent of the burger restaurant market -- compared with 43 percent for McDonald's and 19 percent for Burger King, according to Technomic, a Chicago company that tracks the industry -- the down-home style was seldom forgotten.The focus of Wendy's ads for the last decade has been Mr. Thomas.
Though Kenny died in 2013, Dave's daughters still continue to own and run multiple Wendy's locations. Sometimes he shared the camera with a cute dog or a celebrity, but the pitch was relentlessly straightforward: a friendly offer to sell a high-quality product at a fair price in a friendly environment.Mr. In 1966, Dave Thomas underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery.
David William Thomas was born May 20, 1949, in St. Catharines, Ontario.He is the eldest son of Moreen Duff (Muir), a Scottish-born church organist for thirty years, and composer of church music, and John E. Thomas (1926–1996), a Welsh-born medical ethicist, head of the Philosophy Department at McMaster University, and the author of several books.
Coconut Creek High School in Fort Lauderdale made him part of its senior class.