Born in Tolbert, Texas, Wilbarger County, March 31, 1930
Attended public schools in Haskell, Texas, he graduated from Haskell High School in 1947.
He attended McMurry College in Abilene, Texas, and the University of Texas at Austin. He left the university in 1952 when enlisted in the army and was deployed to Korea where he served until 1954. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1960.
On July 3rd in 1952 Dad married Doris Nell Anderson of Rule, Texas. She was absolutely the love of his life. He married her, enlisted one week later and left for camp in El Paso. Mom and Dad remained married until her death March 2, 2012, 60 years.
Upon returning from Korea he went to work then returned to college to finish his degree in 1967 graduating with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
At age 14 he was employed by the local newspaper in Haskell, The Haskell Free Press, and followed a newspaper career for 20 years.
He was employed as an advertising salesman at the Abilene Reporter News, Abilene, Texas, 1954-56. In 1956, he purchased an interest in a weekly newspaper, the Paducah Post, Paducah, Texas, and was publisher until he sold his interest in 1964. He organized the Paducah Chapter of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and served as the first president. He later served as president of the Paducah Lions Club and was instrumental in organizing the Paducah Chamber of Commerce.
Moving to Austin, Texas, in 1964, he served as public information officer for the Office of Defense and Disaster Relief at the Texas Department of Public Safety, resigning in 1966 to join TALU.
In November 1966, he joined the Texas Association of Life Underwriters (TALU) as Managing Director and was given the title of Executive Vice President by vote of the convention delegates at the 1967 convention of TALU in Dallas.
He had responsibilities that included coordinating the activities of the 8,900 member Texas Association of Life Underwriters, the 600 member Texas Leaders Round Table, and the 600 member Southwest General Agents and Managers Association. He coordinated 20 standing committees of TALU and numerous special committees, maintained membership records, planned meetings and activities of all three state organizations, coordinated state programs with the 37 local associations that make up TALU, provided continuity for the associations’ officers and directors who are volunteers, and served as President of TALU Services, Inc.
He served on several State Board of Insurance Advisory Committees appointed by the Commissioner, including the Continuing Education Advisory Committee and the Committee to draft rules that regulate Third Party Administrators. He has testified on behalf of TALU members before the State Board of Insurance regarding agent regulatory matters and in the Texas Legislature before House and Senate Committees regarding insurance and agent legislative issues.
He is a LUPAC-Texas Ambassador GRANDEE, a LUPAC Tall Texan and served as Secretary-Treasurer for LUPAC-Texas, assisting in determination of candidate contribution process and representing LUPAC at government relations functions and fund-raising events.
In 1976, he was presented the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Texas Leaders Round Table, an honor bestowed on him for outstanding contributions to the life insurances industry in Texas above and beyond the call of duty.
Also in 1976, he was named a recipient of the C. Carney Smith Award, the first time it was ever presented, for the advancement of professionalism in association management, the highest award presented to an association executive by the National Association of Life Underwriters (NALU). He also served a 3 year term on the NALU Association Executive Council, one year as Chairman, and Executive Liaison for the NALU Committee of Associations, Public Relations, State/Company Field Relations and Communications, and the Task Force on National Conventions.
In 1977, he was named Boss of the Year by the Treaty Oaks Chapter of American Business Women’s Association in Austin.
He was a member of the Texas Society of Association Executives and the American Society of Association Executives.
Active in the community, he served, with his wife Doris, as president of Parent-Teacher Associations at elementary, junior high, and high school levels, has served as a precinct chairman for the Democratic Party in Travis County, and served two years as a member of the City Solicitation Committee in Austin. He coached us all in Little League Baseball, Pony Baseball, Colt Baseball, Little League Football, and served as president of the Reagan High School Booster Club.
He was preceded in death by his parents OW and Velma Tooley, his sister Lodena Tooley and his cherished wife Doris Nell (Anderson) Tooley of Rule, Texas. He is survived by daughter Kay Harty and her husband Bill, son Kent Tooley and his partner Cheri Posner, son Kevin Tooley and wife Linda, son Kirk Tooley and wife Lori.
He is also survived by eight grandchildren whom he dearly loved: Becky Harty, Bobbie Harty, Kendal Tooley, Lacy Dyke and husband Justin, Kelli Tooley, Courtney Westbrook and husband Cody, Kasey Tooley and Sergeant Brandon Tooley
And 5 and ½ great grandchildren, Damien, Violet, Olive, Jonah, Elijah and one to be named in a few months.
