Ina Lorraine Buskirk Thomas Has Died
She was not on the list.
Philanthropist Lorraine Thomas, the widow of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, died Sunday, November 24, 2019, the restaurant chain’s corporate office confirmed Monday. She was 84.
Lorraine Thomas, of Fort Lauderdale, was a well-known philanthropist, once donating $1.5 million to help Broward Health in its $20 million campaign to expand and renovate Chris Evert Children’s Hospital, which is now the Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital.
Thomas, a mother and grandmother, said at the time she was inspired to help kids needing hospital care at Broward Health.
“They really need to do something about the kids’ unit. It doesn’t look good,” she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in 2014. “Kids are scared enough going to a hospital. They need to make it more lively and kid-friendly.”
Overall, she donated more than $3.5 million to the Broward Health Foundation.
Her husband Dave died in 2002 of liver cancer at his Fort Lauderdale home. He was 69.
In 1969, he founded Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers, naming the restaurant after daughter Melinda Lou, whose nickname was Wendy. The chain was innovative, using square hamburger patties instead of round (more fit on a grill) and putting chili on the menu (made from unsold burgers).
As a retiree, he could be often found on his 68-foot Sea Ray, the I. Lorraine, named for his wife of 47 years.
“We mourn the loss of Lorraine Thomas, the matriarch of the Wendy’s family and the heart and soul of our brand," the Wendy’s Company said in a statement Monday. "She lent her name, time and financial contributions to organizations that she believed in, and leaves a legacy of philanthropy that continues to inspire us today. Dave called Lorraine his greatest source of support, and credited her love and sacrifice as reasons he was able to become such a success.”
A spokeswoman said funeral information is pending.
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