Thomas Edward Addis, 82

Thomas Edward Addis, born March 2, 1940, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family Feb. 5, 2023. Born in Pasadena, Calif., to Hollis Samuel Addis and Mildred Priscilla Morrison Addis, Tom shared a wonderful childhood with his sister Sandra and brother Kenneth. As a teen, Tom embarked upon his career of contributing to his community. He somehow acquainted himself with many of the police officers that worked under his father, Pasadena’s police chief, and helped train them on how to deal with teenage mischievousness. It was also at this time he began his lifelong passion for engines, especially hot rods and boats. For Tom, the process of building a hot rod or rebuilding a boat was just as important, or more so, than the finished product.

Tom met the love of his life, Mary Lynn Croft, while in high school. Tom and Lynn married in 1960, the beginning of a long partnership of love and adventure. Tom’s greatest legacy is his family — Lynn, his children, Jim and Sara, and his beloved grandchildren, Kate, Kenny and Kendra. He truly was the caretaker of his extended family.

A self-made man, Tom worked from an early age, starting with a newspaper route and cleaning boat bottoms at the local shipyards. He then successfully took on a variety of challenges over the years: Gas station attendant and mechanic, yacht salesman, Harbor Patrol, vice president of a yacht brokerage, assistant to the vice president of McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, and then vice president and national sales manager of Pathfinder Equipment. Tom finally found his true calling — owning his own Ford dealership.

Tom and Lynn embarked on this amazing journey first with Tom Addis Ford in Chewelah, Wash., in 1975, then Tom Addis Dodge and Lake City Ford Lincoln Mercury in Coeur d’Alene in 1986. While in Chewelah and Coeur d’Alene, Tom and Lynn were fixtures in both communities, constantly supporting schools, local charities and causes, and very importantly, quietly helping employees in need. Tom was an intuitive businessman with a heart of gold and immense integrity. A giver, a mentor and a protector. He was intensely loyal with decades-long personal and industry friendships, and an uncanny way of getting to the heart of the matter. There was never an occasion where Tom couldn’t contribute a joke or a well-placed pun, and many of his wise phrases will live on.

Tom was preceded in death by his mother, Mildred (Millie) Addis; his father, Hollis (Sam) Addis; and his younger brother, Kenneth (Kenny). And Tom is survived by his beloved wife, Lynn, son James Addis (Terri), daughter Sara Addis Colbert, son-in law Randy Colbert, grandchildren Kate and Kenneth Colbert and Kendra Tucker (Donovan).

A celebration of Tom’s life will be held at a later date.