Thomas Edward Conley

Thomas Edward Conley, 85, died peacefully Jan. 3, 2020, with his wife and children by his side. Tom was born Nov. 6, 1934, in Buffalo, New York, to Dan and Charlotte Conley.

Tom joined the U.S. Navy in 1953 as an aviation storekeeper and spent almost two years of his tour at Naval Air Station Port Lyautey, Morocco. Upon his discharge, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in social studies and a minor in political science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.

Tom spent 37 years in the auto industry. Early in his career, he joined the Buick Division of General Motors. He worked for Volkswagen of America, Toyota Motor Distributors and American Isuzu Motors as a sales executive.

After retiring from Isuzu in 1994, Tom signed on as a volunteer consultant with Citizen's Democracy Corps in Washington and Samsung South Korea. Tom's favorite post retirement job started in 1998 at Shelby American Inc. in Las Vegas, helping to run the Cobra operation with Carroll Shelby.

Tom married Mary Louise "Molly" Drake Feb. 3, 1968. They were married for almost 52 years and together raised four children. Tom loved classic cars and was an active member of the Fallbrook Vintage Car Club.

Tom left an indelible mark. He was a true gentleman, good natured and thoughtful, humorous and kind. He was a gifted mentor to many in the auto industry and a loving husband, father and grandfather.

Tom is survived by his wife, Molly; son Dan and his wife, Kimmy; son John and his wife, Tiffany; daughter Megan and her husband, Ken; daughter Susan and her husband, Steve; and 11 beloved grandchildren.