Thomas Daues "Tom" Gleason

Thomas Daues "Tom" Gleason, 89, passed away peacefully on August 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving wife and children. Tom was a generous man of integrity who enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren. He shared his love for the outdoors with family and friends. Always active, he enjoyed playing golf, bicycling, hiking, reading, and traveling the world. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, a hardworking and astute businessman, and a dedicated friend to many.

Tom was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1936 to Hermine and Dr. Thomas Gleason. The oldest of six children, three brothers and two sisters, he grew up in St. Louis and graduated from St. Louis University High School. He graduated from Holy Cross College in 1957, for which he later served on the Board of Trustees. He received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1959, where he met many of his lifelong friends.

In between semesters at Harvard, Tom interned at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati and met Sally Santen, the love of his life, at a Friday the 13th party that he always said was lucky for him but unlucky for others. He joined P&G and settled in Cincinnati. He married Sally on February 6, 1960. They had three children while in Cincinnati: Margaret, Thomas Daues Jr., and John Andrew, and a fourth, Anthony, when they moved to Chicago.

In Chicago, Tom worked in project management for American Bakeries and Quaker Oats and subsequently joined with three friends to start Group Four, a boutique investment and finance consulting firm. While in Chicago he co-founded the Talent Assistant Program (TAP), recruiting young businesspeople to work with aspiring minority entrepreneurs and work with gangs in Chicago, helping them to establish and manage local businesses. His stories of these projects are legendary. Always dedicated to education, Tom also served on the Catholic School Board for the Diocese of Chicago.

The Gleasons moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1970 when Tom was offered an opportunity to join Wolverine World Wide as Chief Financial Officer. He was quickly promoted to President and successfully led the company as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman for 24 years. Under his leadership, the image of the Hush Puppies brand was updated and became more stylish. Tom and Sally traveled widely building the Hush Puppies brand internationally. While at Wolverine, he was appointed by George H.W. Bush to serve on the Industry Political Advisor Committee, where he met with other CEOs to advise Carla Hills, the US Trade Representative from 1989 -1993 on trade policy. He was reappointed to the position by President Clinton. After he retired from Wolverine, Tom began another chapter as the chairman of Premium Wear in Minneapolis. Following his second retirement, Tom took pride in sharing his business acumen with the Grand Rapids TEC group, helping local CEOs and business owners grow their businesses.

Finally ready to retire for good, Tom and Sally split their time between Grand Rapids and Naples, Florida. As snowbirds, they lived a relaxed lifestyle and enjoyed the company of many new and old friends. Tom especially enjoyed competitive golf games with the GOOF troop (Grey Oaks Old Folks) who became his closest friends.

Dedicated to community service, Tom served on many corporate, community, education, and arts boards in Grand Rapids and Naples. Some examples are his work on the founding campaign for The Frederick Meijer Gardens, serving on the Board of Trustees for Aquinas College, and the Naples chapter of Habitat for Humanity, even pounding nails to build houses. He helped to establish the Collier Senior Center and served as a board member of the Grand Rapids Public Museum as well as the Grand Rapids Symphony. A classical music enthusiast, he supported the Grand Rapids and Naples opera companies, even making a cameo appearance along with Sally in "Carmen" with Opera Naples.

Tom is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Sally Santen; four children: Mimi (Jim McGill), Simran, Andy (Leslie), and Tony (Kristi); five grandchildren: Madeline, Andrew (McGill), Justice, Charles, Samden, and one great-grandchild Kahleal McGill. He has two step-grandchildren, Ryan and Tyler McGill; plus 2 step-great-grandchildren, Noah and Lou. He is also survived by four of his siblings: Mark (Kathy), Timothy (Maureen), Sister Mary Ann Gleason, and Jane Brown (Finley). His brother Patrick (Nancy) passed away in July of this year.