Thomas Barton Cole

Tom was born in Euclid, Ohio to Clarence “Casey” Cole and Anne Antypas Cole, and grew up in Bradford, Pennsylvania. In his youth, he worked at his father’s car dealership, Casey Cole Chevrolet, an experience that fueled his strong work ethic, business acumen, and entrepreneurial spirit. Tom went on to attend the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business in 1987.

Tom's extensive career in marketing and management spanned over 40 years and began with leadership roles at major brands such as Hardee’s, PepsiCo’s Pizza Hut division, The Forbes Group, Havas Advertising Inc., and J. Walter Thompson. It was during his time as Vice President of Marketing for Pizza Hut that Tom settled in Dallas in 1995, a city he would call home for the remainder of his life.

In 2005, Tom decided to take a leap and start his own marketing agency, Razor Competitive Edge, an agency that would become one of the fastest growing companies in the United States and that he would go on to successfully sell. At the end of his career, Tom founded his second successful marketing agency, Tandem Theory, where he served as Chairman and CEO until his death.

In his personal life, Tom enjoyed history books, film and television (especially Westerns and war films), traveling, fine dining, swimming, and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, his greatest source of joy was being a husband and a father. In that role he was supportive and generous, always ready to give advice, tell a great story, or plan the next family dinner, holiday, or vacation.

Tom is survived by his wife, Rose Cole, his sister, Maryanne Cole, his three children, Grant, Emily, and Casey Cole, and many friends and colleagues who loved him dearly. He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Richard Cole.

There will be a viewing and visitation on Friday, May 15th, from 6-8 p.m., at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas. This will be followed by a 10 a.m. funeral service on Saturday, May 16th, in the Sparkman Memorial Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Tunnels to Towers Foundation.