Thomas Wolfe

1934 - 2015

Thomas F. Wolfe

December 11, 1934 - June 18, 2015

With profound sadness, we say farewell to our beloved husband, father and grandfather. Thomas Francis Wolfe passed away peacefully June 18, 2015 with his family by his side. He was 80.
Tom lived a full and interesting life; one filled with intellectual curiosity, a love for family, and, importantly, a thirst for adventure. Much of his free time involved sailing on his beloved San Francisco Bay and the Caribbean, or flying the skies of Northern California in his Beechcraft Bonanza. A longtime San Francisco resident, he and his wife Barbara moved part time to Santa Rosa, raising prize tomatoes that we would eat all summer.
One of his life's passions was the opera; he traveled worldwide to hear his favorite productions, and along with his wife Barbara, was a strong supporter of the beloved San Francisco Opera. Even late in life, he could be found listening to his vinyl records for hours on end, headphones on so he could hear it as loud as he wished. To Tom, Wagner's operas, especially Tristan und Isolde, represented musical perfection at every level.
Born in Buffalo, NY he was the second eldest of nine siblings. After the early loss of his parents, he helped raise his siblings while putting himself through college and law school. Thomas attended St. Joseph's Collegiate School, Niagara College where he was on a basketball scholarship, received a BS from Canisius College and attended UCLA and University at Buffalo Law School. While at UCLA, he fell in love with California and eventually moved to Northern California in the mid 60s. A lawyer by profession, he boldly left a senior corporate counsel role at McKesson in the late 70s to pursue real estate investment.
A real estate visionary, he started Sleepy Hollow Investment Company, and invested in a variety of properties in the north, south and east bay. His love for the outdoors and agriculture also led him to develop and manage vineyards in the Monterey area.
Fiercely independent, Tom lived according to his own code, valuing truth, loyalty and generosity above all.
In his twenties, he spent time in the Peace Corps and also worked for the United Farmworkers to secure farm worker rights. Throughout his life he very generously supported many organizations in the arts, education and social services. His quiet leadership, strength of character and conviction were a role model for many family and friends.
Tom had two daughters, Kirsten and Gretchen with his wife Diane. He later married Barbara Ahmajan in 1984. In their 31 years together, they found in each other unrivaled love, respect and spirit of adventure. Tom had five grandchildren: Victoria, Holden, William, Dashiell and Nicholas, and they all loved him dearly. His sons-in-law, Andrew Brown and Lee Hansen were both inspired by his wit and sense of adventure, and greatly admired his love for his family.
As he recently said to one of his daughters, he lived a life luckier than he ever thought possible. We all think we are the lucky ones to have shared so many wonderful years with him, and we are so proud to call ourselves his loved ones. It is with a very heavy heart we say goodbye to your body, but your spirit will be with us always. We love you.