Tom was born on June 13, 1934 at Evanston Hospital to Maurine Taylor Coon and Byron Samuel Coon of Evanston, Illinois. Tom grew up on the North Shore of Chicago, living in Indian Hill, Evanston and Kenilworth. He attended Joseph Sears School, New Trier High School and Graham-Eckes Palm Beach Academy. He also attended Kenilworth Union Church. Tom spent his first year of college at Stetson University, then transferred to the University of Miami where he majored in Business Administration and was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. It was at the University of Miami where he met and fell in love with his wife, Judith. They were married in 1960 in Coconut Grove, Miami and settled in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they raised their two children, Elizabeth and Thomas. Tom worked for General Finance Corp., a business that was founded by his grandfather, James S. Coon and Uncle, Owen L. Coon. When Tom started at the company, his father, Byron, was Chairman of the Board and the company grew into one of the largest private finance companies in the United States. After the company was sold in 1968, Tom bought a large tract of land in Coconut Creek, Florida and began a new career as a successful land developer and mobile home park owner. After working in and growing that business over the next 25 years, he then diversified into other commercial real estate holdings which he managed along with his son, Tom Jr. Tom truly enjoyed going to work each day, keeping a sharp eye on his properties and busying himself at the office up until the day he passed away. He never hesitated to jump into a back hoe or front end loader if he thought he could get a better result and never considered himself too good to join "his guys" in the field and help lay sod, shovel, rake or sweep if it helped get a job done right and on time despite being decades older. In his own quiet and unobtrusive manner, he let you know that you were loved and appreciated and he garnered many friends along the way. His easy going, gentlemanly deportment will be sorely missed by those that have called him a friend for many years, as well as those that may have been lucky enough to pull up a chair next to him at the Ambry, Ale House, Maguire's or J Alexander's in his later years. At the end of the day, Tom was a good, honest and decent man who enjoyed reading his books, wearing his navy blazer and pocket square out to dinner, having a glass (or two) of red wine and a great steak cooked "right" and would not have been happy with a long-winded obituary that cost "too much damn money." However, as you were fond of saying, Dad, "this one is my treat." Tom was a proud member of the Lauderdale Yacht Club and could sometimes be seen at All Saints Episcopal Church (albeit begrudgingly and mostly during the holidays or family baptisms). Besides the Dan Duckham designed home in Fort Lauderdale that he and Judy built in 1964 and were so proud of, they also had a beautiful home in Highlands, NC for many years where they enjoyed spending cooler summers and holidays with their children, grandchildren, many pets and many friends who would come to visit and share in the hospitality and revelry of "Coon Hollow." During his youth, Tom loved the summers that he and his brother, Ron and their parents would spend at their wonderful chalet on Big Crawling Stone Lake in Lac du Flambeau, WI. Tom had just returned from a month long trip from visiting old friends and the lake he loved when he passed away quietly (as was his style) on July 3rd. Tom was predeceased by his parents, his step brother and sister, James and Audrey Stepman, brother, Ron and his devoted wife of 51 years, Judith Weiland Coon. He is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth McIntosh of Charlotte, NC, her husband, Gregory; son, Thomas Taylor Coon, Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, FL, his wife, Lynne and five grandchildren, Gregory, Graham, Thomas, Madeline and Jack. The family would like to thank Alice Appel for her devotion and friendship over the last several years. A memorial service will be held in September with specific details forthcoming to family and close friends and a private family service next summer in Chicago and Lac du Flambeau.