Thomas Dupree Sr.

1930 - 2018

DUPREE Thomas Parmelee Dupree, Sr., of Lexington died peacefully at home on Sunday, April 29th, 2018. He was born in Louisville, KY on July 10th, 1930 to Gladys Parmelee Dupree and Frederic Lamar Dupree, Sr. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Frederic Lamar Dupree, Jr, and his wife of 53 years, Clara Galtney Dupree. He is survived by his second wife, Ann Todd Houlihan Dupree and a brother, Bryan Whitfield Dupree of Lexington. Other survivors include his children, Thomas P. Dupree, Jr. (Elizabeth), Harriet D. Bradley (Guy), Lamar D. Grimes (Allen) all of Lexington, David G. Dupree (Uma) of Ashland, OR and seven grandchildren, Alexander Dupree, Seattle, WA, Christian Dupree and Virginia Grimes of New York, NY, Charles Grimes, Clark Dupree, James Dupree and Thomas Bradley all of Lexington. Tom was proud to have served the United States as a naval officer during the Korean Conflict. His military training began in high school at Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, TN where he was valedictorian and where he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He earned a Naval ROTC scholarship to Yale University graduating in 1952. He served as Lieutenant JG on US Navy Destroyer Clarence K Bronson as a navigator, circumnavigating the globe. After his military service, Tom joined his father at Dupree & Company in Harlan, KY as a municipal bond salesman. He and his family moved to Lexington in 1963 to expand the business which specialized in municipal bond finance. Some of the projects financed under his direction included Rupp Arena, Commonwealth Stadium and Bluegrass Airport. In 1979, Mr. Dupree founded Dupree Mutual Funds. Mr. Dupree was a founding board member of ACS - Affiliated Computer Services, which became a division of Xerox. He was Chairman of the Board of Appalachian Hospital Corporation, now Appalachian Regional Healthcare, serving on that board for over 25 years. Mr. Dupree also served as Chairman of the Board of Regents of Sewanee: The University of the South, later receiving an honorary degree in appreciation for his service to the university. Tom enjoyed playing the piano, painting portraits including each of his children, and designing and engineering buildings at his retreat in Pulaski County. As a patron of the arts, he supported numerous individuals and organizations, establishing the Dupree Initiative for Innovation at the Lexington Philharmonic. He funded research for Parkinson's disease at UK Healthcare, an illness to which he refused to submit, valiantly fighting it with a positive attitude and enormous perseverance for nearly 25 years. His service to God's creation and to the church brought him the greatest joy. With his wife Clara, he built The Close Retreat Center in Pulaski County, KY, nestled above the banks of the Rockcastle River narrows, providing a natural sanctuary for many to seek a closer connection to Jesus Christ. Tom was involved with the Episcopal church on a national as well as local level in his younger years. He and Clara were founders of Apostles Anglican Church in Lexington. Declaring Kentucky "God's country", Tom sought to preserve as much of it as he could by working with the Nature Conservancy to establish the Dupree Nature Preserve along the Kentucky River Palisades and by making significant contributions to protect Blanton Forest as a founding member of the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust. The family wishes to express their deep appreciation to Trish Holman Hunter for her long time service, caring for Tom and with great loyalty and love. Memorials in his honor may be made to Apostles Anglican Church, 200 Colony Blvd, Lexington KY 40502, The Nature Conservancy/Kentucky or the Lexington Philharmonic. Funeral service will be held Thursday, May 3rd at 11:00 a.m. at Christ Church Cathedral, 166 Market St., Lexington, KY. Visitation will be Wednesday, May 2nd from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Milward-Broadway. Private burial at the The Close Retreat will be at a later date. www.milwardfuneral.com