Thomas C Marshall

1929 - 2015

Thomas C. Marshall

1929 - 2015

Tom Marshall, 86, passed away on August 31, 2015 at home surrounded by family after a long illness. He was born in Deming, New Mexico on March 14, 1929 to Archibald Warren Marshall and Carolyn Caldwell Marshall. Tom was the 5th great grandson of John Marshall, 1st Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Growing up in Deming, he faithfully delivered the magazines of the day (Collier's etc.). He spent some time doing highway roadwork and another summer working for his uncle at the Freeport Sulfur Company mines; it was then he decided he wanted to use his brain, not his brawn, to make his millions. In high school he played the tenor sax in the marching band. He dropped basketball when he discovered girls.

Tom finished high school at Harvard Military School, in Los Angeles. While attending Pomona College where he received his Bachelor of Arts, he was a member of the Alpha Sigma Delta fraternity.

Before continuing his education in hotel management at Cornell University's Hotel School, he married Helen Virginia Mortensen on September 1, 1949. He was the first in the family line to seek a profession other than law. Their first son, David, was born August 3, 1951. Tom gained hotel experience summers working at Bleakly House in the Catskills and the Cloudcroft Resort, Cloudcroft, New Mexico. In his senior year he was a recipient of the coveted Schlitz Scholarship and received a Bachelor of Science in hotel management in 1952.

His first hotel deal was the Dana Point Hotel, where he and Helen worked side by side. Tom's next career move was to manage the Hotel Woodland, part of the Handlery Hotel chain in Woodland, California. While in Woodland their daughter, Pamela, was born December 20, 1953. Tom was then promoted to manage the Alexander Hamilton Hotel, headquarters of Handlery Hotels in San Francisco.

In the late 1950's Tom founded the Continental Pacific Hotel Company with the acquisition of the Lombard Hotel in San Francisco to house young people and discovered a need for Senior Housing, thus, pioneering Senior Hotel Living. This filled the need with comfortable and affordable housing options for seniors. He soon added The New Continental Hotel at 127 Ellis as well as The Victorian Hotel on 4th Street in San Francisco. His specialty was taking older 200 plus room hotels and remodeling them into American Plan hotels (with meals) comfortable for senior living. Tom later added two hotels in Oakland, The Claridge Hotel and The Lakehurst; in addition to the Hotel Fresno and The Hotel Californian in Fresno; plus The Commodore and The Rossmore House in Los Angeles. Offered an opportunity to go national with his senior hotel program, Tom chose to stay local, so he could devote more time to his family.

He served as president of the California Hotel & Motel Association; president of the Northern California Cornell Society of Hotelmen; director of the Bel-Air Hotel Company, Los Angeles; a director of the Joseph Drown Foundation where he has done extensive charitable giving including: North Bay Children's Center, Marin Council of Boy Scouts, Marin Humane Society, Marin Friends of the Ferals, Novato School Fuel, St. Vincent's High School, Hotel & Restaurant Scholarship Foundation, STEM Marin Fund at San Marin High, and multiple UCSF Medical research programs, to name a few. He also volunteered with the Guide Dogs for the Blind by hosting a male breeder dog. His guide dog Apache became a very important part of his life.

Helen and Tom moved from San Francisco to Kentfield in 1961 to a home with a splendid view of Mt. Tamalpais. They completed their family when John was born August 1, 1963 and Robert was born March 23, 1965.

Tom loved to fish and he loved his boats. He started with a 27' Chris Craft Twin engine cabin cruiser named "Candida" and worked up to a 52' Catamaran "The Victoriana". He managed to mix business with pleasure by starting Executive Cruises. The Victoriana hosted many business meetings and visiting dignitaries such as the mayor of Paris and the President of Paraguay. They also maintained The "El Pescador", a six pack for charter fishing in the local San Fransciso waters.

The family spent spring breaks at Lake Tahoe as well as time in their vacation homes at Kona, Wailea and Honolulu. Tom and Helen played golf whenever they could at the Meadow Club where he was a member of the board of directors. They witnessed many 49er games. Many Christmases were spent at Chinquapin, Lake Tahoe. They loved to entertain, especially outdoors at home. Halloween was a special holiday, any trick-or-treaters that ventured to their home met Count Dracula and Elvira at the door. Most recently they have been haunting Rickey's Restaurant & Bar at Inn Marin, in Novato.

For the past nineteen years, Tom enjoyed partnering, with his sons John and Robert at Inn Marin in Novato, and his experience helped build the business. In 2004, they added Rickey's Restaurant & Bar, realizing a dream of Tom's to own a successful restaurant.

Tom was predeceased by his parents and sister Margaret Dillon. He is survived by wife Helen of 66 years; son David Marshall of Cotati, daughter Pamela (Dan) Howells of Eugene, Oregon, son John (Dana) Marshall, son Robert (Camille) Marshall both of Novato; grandchildren: Michael and Dustin Howells, Claire Marshall, Logan, Austin and Ryan Marshall; and Fang, his 20lb black cat, who was an adopted feral.

A Family Celebration of Life will be planned at a later date. Arrangements entrusted to Monte's Chapel of the Hills, San Anselmo. Remembrances can be made in Tom's name to your favorite charity.