Tom Love, founder of Love's Travel Stops, dies at 85

OKLAHOMA CITY — Tom Love, who, alongside partner and wife Judy, founded Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores and grew it into a network of more than 600 locations, died March 7 at his home in Oklahoma City. He was 85.

Tom Love, who was serving as executive chair of the company, was remembered by Love's as "a respected community and business leader ... admired for his genuine humility, good-natured disposition, generosity and helpfulness toward others."

"Tom Love was a man of conviction who never wavered from the principles of honesty and integrity in the 59 years he spent developing the company he started with his wife, Judy," Shane Wharton, president of Love's, said. "These tenets still guide our company and will as we move forward. Tom always listened and was sincerely interested in knowing the stories of employees and customers.

"He wanted to hear their thoughts, ideas and hopes for them, their families and the company. He credited the company's success to the people who worked for us. He could relate to all employees but had a soft spot for those on the frontline at stores. In many respects, he was an ordinary person who built an extraordinary business alongside his wife Judy and his family, who he loved deeply."

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Love was born in 1937 in Oklahoma City. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1954. He married Judy in 1960.

In 1964, the couple used $5,000 to lease an abandoned service station in Watonga, Okla., near Oklahoma City. The Musket Corp., as it was called, grew into 40 stores in the region over eight years. From there, the Loves created the concept of a "country store," and in 1972 opened Tom's Country Store, which featured self-service gasoline, grocery and dairy items and was open seven days a week for extended hours, in Guymon, Okla.

Love's opened its first travel stop in 1981 on Interstate 40 in Amarillo, Texas. The travel stop concept, which catered to professional truck drivers and cross-country travelers, has grown to include food items, truck maintenance and showers.

Love's opened its 600th location in October 2022. The Love's Family of Companies now includes businesses focused on truck maintenance, logistics, commodity supply and alternative energies.

"In his 59 years of leading the company, Tom was adamant about serving others and putting people first. His vision for establishing a nationwide network of 'Clean Places, Friendly Faces' is a company-wide motto that embodies his customer-first approach," Love's said.

Love's passion for sports led to a company partnership with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder — the company logo is on the left shoulder of team jerseys — as well as a NASCAR Cup Series sponsorship.

The Love family has supported numerous organizations — including Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, United Way, Catholic Charities, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. In 2018, the university opened the Tom Love Innovation Hub for future entrepreneurs and other workforce development programs. OU also recently broke ground on Love's Field — the future home of the Sooner softball team.

Tom Love's legacy will carry on at the Love Family Women's Center on the campus of Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City. Science Museum Oklahoma's new state-of-the-art planetarium will be named Love's Planetarium.

Love received many honors, including Corporation of the Year in 1991 and the 1996 President's Award for Service to God and Country. He was chosen as Oklahoma's Most Admired CEO in 2010 and Trust Guardian Transportation Award in 2014. A Chickasaw citizen, Love was inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2000.

Love is survived by his wife of 62 years, Judy; children Frank, Greg, Jenny and Laura; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather," the Love family said in a statement. "He loved people, and that was evident in how he guided our family, operated the business he started in 1964 and gave back to our community and organizations across the country that serve others. He was always committed to helping others succeed and opening the door for leaders, including his children and grandchildren, and we look forward to building upon his legacy. While the grief we feel is unmeasurable, we celebrate his life and will continue his legacy of living a life filled with integrity, honesty and faith."