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Thomas R. Warren, Jr.
 November
4, 1914 — March
23, 1999
He knew more about Charlotte
Rotary than any one. For 23
years since he retired, he's
been the mortar that has
held the club together. No
doubt, he's already made
contact with Rotary Saint
Paul (Harris) and is
computerizing Rotary
Celestial. After 84 years,
Tom Warren's body finally
gave up, but never his
spirit and enthusiasm. He
died at Carolinas Medical
Center after a long illness.
His funeral was Friday at
Harry and Bryant Chapel with
Rotarian Dr. Julian M.
Aldridge, Jr., officiating.
He is survived by one son,
Lewis R. Warren, and his
wife, Joyce S. Warren, both
of Matthews. Memorials may
be made to the Rotary Club
of Charlotte Scholarship in
care of the Rotary Office.
Born in Durham, he attended
the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. As
Tom said, he left school
during the Great Depression
"when jobs were hard to come
by." He sold advertising and
sporting goods and worked in
a men's store. He was even
certified as a Lionel train
repairman.
In 1942, someone told him to
apply for a Scouting job; he
deferred because "the
starting salary was too
low," and he didn't have the
requisite car. Later, he did
acquire a car when American
Tobacco went on strike in
his hometown, and someone
needed to sell a '38 Chevy.
He did join the Scouts in
1944, beginning his career
in Charleston. In 1948 he
moved to Greensboro where he
served as scout executive
for 11 years. He came to
Charlotte as scout executive
in 1959.
A stickler for details, Tom
spent his last two years
with the Boy Scouts
developing Camp Grimes in
Dysertsville. Most of his
waking hours were devoted to
overseeing construction from
beginning to end. A bronze
plaque at the came
commemorates his labor of
love: In Appreciation to
Thomas R. Warren, Jr., Camp
Development Director,
1974-1976, Mecklenburg Scout
Reservation, "For Service
Beyond the Contract."
He applied that same
dedication and enthusiasm to
his work as our executive
secretary. Nary a club
president or secretary
during his 23 years' service
would have wanted to do
their jobs without him. Said
one president, "When Tom got
a cold, the president gets
pneumonia." Tom joined
Greensboro Rotary in 1949;
Charlotte Rotary in 1959. He
became executive secretary
during Pete deWitt's
presidency in 1976. "I had
just retired from the Scouts
and Beth Small (Rotary
office secretary) was
leaving. (Club Secretary)
Malloy Rash told me, "You're
not doing anything; get us a
secretary!" And, he did.
After his beloved wife,
Carolyn, died, Rotary, in
particular Charlotte Rotary,
became his life.
And he wasn't at all
deterred by the changing
times. He tackled computers
with the enthusiasm one
would expect from an
engineering student. He
brought Charlotte Rotary
into the computer age, even
to the point of buying a
home computer to hone his
skills.
Tom Warren leaves a proud
legacy of service to our
community and our club. We
will miss his knowledge, his
experience, his wise
counsel, the security we
felt when "things were under
his control," even his raspy
voice. But we will never
forget his love for Rotary
and his true example of
"Service Above Self."
We will truly miss you,
Rotarian Tom Warren. In your
honor we will make a
contribution to the Club's
Scholarship Fund.
By Henry Bostic |
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